It is us, the kids of elderly parents who’re more concerned about bathroom safety than our parents. That is true because most of us do not realize the precarious conditions we are in. It is easy to see the big picture when it includes someone else. For this reason, it is necessary that we should be as forceful as we can be when it comes to making the bathroom as safe as possible even if our parents argue against it.
You can be worried that making a bathroom safe will require expensive renovation but rest assured, that isn’t essentially true. It all depends on the level of capability and disability your parents are demonstrating. Here are some tips to make their bathroom safe for aged parents:
Grab bars
If your parent is unsteady on the feet, then the best solution is to install grab bars near the toilet, in the shower, and in places where it is required. A grab bar will help them maintain, sit, stand their balance. They can have a tendency to hold onto the towel racks for stability, so make sure that these are secure but encourage them to utilize the grab bars to hold their body weight.
Clean floors
Don’t leave towels on the floor, bath mats, and any clutter that can be a trip hazard. A hamper can collect dirty towels and rubber bath mats will not move.
Offer to help
Your parent can feel unsafe while bathing and showering, so offer to help or be on hand if they require assistance particularly getting in or out of the shower. Their pride can stand in the way of their safety. You can be the first to bring up the topic.
Non-skid
Showers with shampoo and soap are slippery for anybody but especially hazardous to seniors with balance problems. To prevent falls in the shower, place a non-skid rubber mat in the shower’s bottom. This will help seniors to avoid any slips or fallings.
Slippers
If your parent is taking a bath and shower, they can remove their clothing and shoes before entering the bathroom. It isn’t safe for the elderly to walk around barefoot. Offer them comfortable, well-fitting slippers with rubber soles so they don’t slip.
Taller toilet
Lower toilets can possibly be difficult for your parent to sit down on and stand up from, so consider installing a tall toilet.
Shower chair
A shower chair is a better addition to make the shower more accessible to your parent and to prevent falls. This’s helpful if your parent doesn’t have good balance or doesn’t have the strength to stand for a long time.
Bathroom door
You should make sure that the door to their bathroom swings outward. If your parent falls against the door, then you or medical personnel cannot open the door. This kind of change will let access to your parent at all times in case of an emergency.
Floor protection
This starts with rubberized bath mats. Their top surface is textured for more grip while the bottom side has suction pads or ribbing to make it non-slip. Bath mats rarely cover the whole surface of the bathtub and shower, so you can combine them with adhesive sticker threads. Arrange the stick-on on either side of the bath mat, broadening your protective surface. If you are willing to undertake something more drastic that you can refurbish the bathroom and nearby corridors. Widen the hallways to accommodate walkers or wheelchairs.
Improved visibility
Your parent can wake up in the night if they have to need to use the bathroom, sometimes multiple times through the night. A nightlight will illuminate their pathway to the bathroom and within the bathroom, you need to put nightlights in the bathroom and corridor. These stop the seniors from stumbling. You can put touch-sensitive lights along the hallway so that your elderly housemates can simply turn them on or off at will. Utilize multiple lights in the bathroom too. This can look like electricity waste but remember, the eyesight of your elderly parent weakens over time. So standard fluorescent bathroom lights may cause harsh shadows that can disorient your seniors. Combine the main lights with soft sidelights to assist them to see more clearly. Glow-in-the-dark décor is another helpful bathroom tool. It can take the butterflies’ form on the wall of stars in the ceiling. After sunset, these stickers give off a gentle reflection that will help your senior navigate in the dark without feeling useless.
Side grips and comfy toilets
Children require short toilets, so they may stand or squatly unfettered. Elders have a hard time bending over, so if you can shorten their trip to the toilet seat, it is immensely helpful. Raised toilet seats mean that the seniors do not have to scoot as far down before they sit and do their business. These high toilets come in the form of add-on seats that may be clamped on top of regular toilets and removed at will. They are securely attached though, so they will not fall off willy-nilly. Get a seat that contains handlebars for added support. They keep seniors from tipping over. Apart from the side-supports on toilets, you can install grab bars on the sides of the tub, toilet, shower. You can purchase straight bars that screw directly into the wall, and clamped bars that will grip the bathtub’s sides. These will help your seniors stand up and get down as well.