Roughly 80% of falls in the home occur in the bathroom and a large number of these falls are among the elderly. While this may be the most dangerous room in the house, there are ways to prevent most falls.
Here’s how:
1. Use Anti-slip flooring
Regular floor tiles can be quite slippery if there’s water on the floor. Since it’s nearly impossible to completely prevent water from getting on the floor, you can mitigate the risk by using anti-slip flooring. These have a little extra texture to give grip to bare feet, regardless of how wet the floor is.
2. Install Grab Rails
Grab rails allow you to keep your balance while moving around the bathroom and transitioning from the toilet to standing while getting in and out of the bath, or shower. With several grab rails carefully positioned around the bathroom, anyone who is in danger of losing their balance will have something to hold onto as they move about, reducing the risk of falling.
3. Use a Walk-in Bath
Walk-in baths really make bathing much safer for everyone. These baths allow walk-through a small door in the side of the bathtub and then close it to fill the bath, and they come in various sizes with seats and showers. From there, you can empty the bath and then open the door to walk out the low-level access. Many falls occur when you’re getting in and out of the bath, so this can eliminate the need to lift your leg and step over and out of the bath.
4. Install a Higher Toilet
If you have reduced mobility, especially in your knees or hips then sitting down on the toilet can be difficult and getting back up even more so. To reduce the chances of a knee giving out and causing a fall, you may wish to install a higher toilet. A comfort height toilet will reduce the distance required to sit and stand, making it easier for everyone to use the bathroom with less risk. The toilet’s Bespoke Bathing provide look exactly the same as any other toilet apart from the height is a few inches higher, thus making it far more comfortable to stand up/sit down.
5. Seating in the Bathroom
Walk-in showers, wet rooms and our walk-in baths can all come with the added safety of seating options to make the bathroom. Installing a seat in the bathroom will also provide you with the option of sitting down to remove clothing or to get dressed, or if you need to take a minute.
Shower and baths seats really can help to reduce the chances of slipping and falling while bathing, which is why many Occupational Therapists will recommend them.
You can do a number of things to help prevent slips and falls in bathrooms, but it’s best to equip your bathroom long before you actually need these extra measures. Contact Bespoke Bathing today to learn more about reducing accidents in your bathroom.
If you would like just advice on a new easy-access bathroom or to arrange a FREE home survey with a local Bespoke Bathing representative, then please call our team between 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0800 1695 526 or email us for a brochure here.
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