Bathroom Safety, Fall Prevention, Handicap Accessible Bathroom, Patient Safety

Why is Bathroom Safety so Important?

The most serious and common medical problems experienced by older adults are falls and fall-related injuries. Nearly one-third of older people fall each year, and half of them fall more than once, since the home environment can present many hazards. The most consistently proven predictors of risks for falling are due to gait and balance issues. A common place for falls resulting in injury happen in the bathroom. Changes to the home environment help reduce hazards and help support a person in their daily activities. Important improvements to help prevent falls include installing safety rails and grab bars in the shower, tub or near the toilet, making sure floors are flat and level, installing a shower with easy access, and minimizing clutter.

How Can I Make My Bathroom Safer?

A handrail is a rail that is designed to be grasped by your hand, to provide stability and support while bending down or bending over. They help prevent falls on slippery, wet surfaces in the bathroom, should be easy to grip or grasp, and can be placed on one or both sides of a toilet. Some handrails come hinged so they can be moved out of the way, or lowered in place for when they are not needed, and some are stationary, meaning they stay where they are mounted. Handrails can be mounted either on the wall or on the floor, depending on the model that fits your needs.

Grab bars increase safety and accessibility for those with a variety of mobility difficulties. They are safety devices designed to enable you to lessen your fatigue while you are standing, to hold some of your weight while maneuvering, to maintain your balance, or to have something to grab onto in case of a slip or fall. Grab bars can also be used to assist a caregiver in transferring you from one place to another by holding onto it to prevent slipping and falling. For example, as you climb in or out of the shower or bathtub, or as you sit or stand from the toilet. They can be mounted horizontally, diagonally or vertically in the shower, tub, or by the toilet. Grab bars are widely used in hospitals, clinics, public restrooms, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and private homes.

Toilet risers are devices that improve the accessibility of your toilet by raising its entire base. It is a cost-effective solution for having a taller toilet without needing to purchase a completely new one.

Shower pans are designed to provide a safe, independent and convenient alternative to a traditional bathtub by having a textured floor. This eliminates the danger of slipping when stepping into a bathtub. They can be utilized by people with or without disabilities, and are an economical alternative to a ceramic tile floor.

Easy-step showers help maintain your personal independence and are a comfortable solution to bathroom safety. The showers have a low threshold curb, making them easy to step over, and they are perfect for installing a shower door. Many features include large molded shower seats, soap dishes and leg ledges for easier bathing. Grab bars are optional, and can help to reduce the risk of slipping and falling. Different surface finishes are available, depending on the appearance and needs you have, and some come as a one-piece unit while others come in multi-pieces that need to be assembled.

Safety alarms help protect higher fall-risk people by notifying their caregiver when they try to stand without assistance. The alarms can be used on a bed, chair pad or toilet. The sensor is triggered when a person is attempting to get up when no one is around. It removes all of the unwanted stress that comes from having to constantly watch over them, and assists with the prevention of unwanted accidents. You can set the level of loudness, and you can silence it while helping them with their mobility needs.

Rehabmart is proud to offer a wide variety of specially designed devices to keep your loved ones safe in the bathroom from innovative and superior quality vendors such as IPU, Clarke Healthcare, TFI Healthcare, Independence Medical, Carex, Sammons Preston, North Coast, HealthCraft, Big John Products, Drive Medical and others.

Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Co-Founder & CEO

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