Many people either find themselves living with or visiting senior citizens in order to ensure they receive the care they deserve. Unfortunately, one room that can pose many dangers for senior citizens is the bathroom. In fact, statistics gathered from the CDC found that an estimated 235,000 people experience injuries that take place in the bathroom of a home. Considering that, it’s important to ensure that senior citizens are protected from the pain and injuries that can take place after a bathroom fall occurs. With that in mind, here are three important bathroom accessibility products to keep in this room while caring for a senior citizen.
- Bathroom Grab Bars
Grab bars are some of the most important items you can have in a bathroom used by a senior citizen. These bars are often placed in many areas of a bathroom including the sides of a toilet and at various locations on the walls. Statistics show that older adults are treated in the emergency room every 11 seconds for damage suffered after falling down. Considering that, it’s wise to ensure that these bars are installed to help provide a senior citizen with full mobility while they are in the bathroom. - Shower Chairs
Statistics gathered by the AARP and the National Conference of State Legislatures found that 90% of those over 65 want to live at home for as long as possible. With that in mind, it’s understandable to do everything possible to ensure that senior citizen is able to enjoy full mobility while being able to stay at home. You’ll find that shower chairs are great ways to allow seniors to shower safely without having to stand for periods of time. Senior citizens are often more susceptible to suffering from bouts of dizziness than younger individuals. Therefore, having these chairs on hand helps to ensure that a senior citizen can safely shower without having to worry about falling after standing for long amounts of time. - Mats Made to Prevent Slips
Another important aspect of bathroom safety is preventing injuries that occur while someone falls in the shower. While shower chairs work well to prevent seniors from standing up, it’s important that they have protection from slipping while entering or exiting a shower. Considering that, you’ll find that nonslip mats are great items that help keep the feet of senior citizens from slipping.
To summarize, there are several items to include in your bathroom that help keep a senior citizen safe. It’s important to ensure that a senior is able to have full mobility without having to rely on others whenever possible. Considering that, grab bars are items you’ll want to have in a bathroom that enable senior citizens to have an easier time moving on and off of a toilet seat. Another place that is known to injure many seniors is the shower. With that in mind, you’ll find that including shower chairs in combination with nonstick mats are great ways to prevent having to deal with the aftermath of a painful shower accident.