Tips and Aids for Bathroom Safety for the Elderly as we approach Winter

Around one in three adults over the age of 65 living at home will have at least one fall a year, and about half of these will have more frequent falls. Slips and falls in the bathroom are one of the most common. During the winter months from November onwards this is even more the case. Did you know that you do not need to make wholescale changes to your bathroom to just make it just that little bit safer for yourself or elderly members of your family? And thus, impacting one of the biggest risks.

Gradual and small sympathetic adjustments in your bathroom space with the use of bathroom aids and equipment can significantly reduce the risk of accidents and falls for the elderly. It also presents a far more sensitive and palatable approach to introducing changes. Another key benefit to bathroom aids is the increased independence they provide. Many elderly individuals value their ability to carry out personal tasks, such as using the bathroom, without assistance. These aids help empower people to perform these activities on their own, reducing the need for caregiver support and offering independence.

As we approach the cooler months and head into winter, there are several natural factors which increase risks in the bathroom.  The darker days, especially mornings and evenings, the colder climate and our cooler core body temperature are all contributing factors to creating a riskier bathroom space.

It is key to observe and understand the risks in the bathroom. Avoiding an accident through forward planning is far more comfortable and dignified than recovering from a fall or accident. Furthermore, the impact it can have on one’s self-confidence is often unreversible, and it may also impact other family members too.

The things to consider and plan into are –

• How the elderly use and access the sink?
• How you get in and out of the bath?
• How you take a shower and come out of the shower cubicle?
• How you get up and down from the toilet?
• Any other trip hazards or sharp corners or hard edges that could be harmful in the event of a fall?

Planning and making the bathroom environment safer with bathroom safety equipment

Grab bars next to the toilet and toilet frames provide significant benefits for the elderly, particularly in terms of safety. As people age, they often experience reduced balance, muscle strength, and mobility, which can make everyday activities like getting on and off the toilet more challenging. Grab bars and toilet frames have been developed to offer support when using the toilet to  help prevent falls and injuries, especially given that bathroom floors can be slippery environments. 

In the bath, it is important to consider reducing the height that one has to go down to sit inside and a bath seat or bath bench can help reduce this height and make it much easier for elderly people to rise up using a grab bar to remain steady. If the bath is used to shower in then a bath mat instead of the bath bench would create more traction and reduce the risk if slipping.

Another very common and invisible anomaly is the height of the inside of the bath to the floor outside. Its rather an illusion that the two look almost the same height. In fact, as you step out of the bath, the risk of falling forward is certainly there as the outside floor is a few inches lower. A simple bath step on the outside to step onto would help greatly.

For those that may be using a shower, whether they are using an elderly walk in shower or an average shower model, a shower chair or shower stool are both wonderful products that avoid the risk of dizziness and falls in the shower and allow for the user to end their shower and exit in a much more composed manner. Shower chairs, shower stools and grab bars are also essential aids that provide support and safety for elderly individuals because they offer a stable place to sit while washing, as well as support to get onto and off the chair or stool. This means they do not need to stand on a slippery surface which can increase the risk of falls and accidents. 

Finally, one can also consider a perching stool near the sink if there is a risk of falls or disorientation when brushing teeth and washing ones face.

Just a simple risk assessment around the bathroom space and an understanding of what solutions are available to reduce the risk is a great start to creating a happier home for you and your loved ones. Whether you live with an elderly person, are planning your own safe environment or care for someone that may be living away from you, simple steps and a frequent risk assessment can give everyone a great deal of peace of mind.

With the best will be cannot completely eradicate accidents but we should always feel that we did the best we could to reduce the risks.

Get support to find the mobility and bathroom aids today

Speaking to your local Weldricks pharmacy about your home environment and challenges you or your loved ones may be facing is also a really good way to discuss and understand risks and solutions too.

What’s more is that with your permission Weldricks Healthcare Assistants can evaluate your mobility needs side by side with your medication and advise on products that are even more suited to your needs. For example, COPD, Asthma and Arthritis amongst many more conditions are just a few areas which would have a direct impact on your Mobility and Independent Living Aids consideration and selections.