Bathrooms - Keeping the Elderly Safe

Bathrooms can be one of the most hazardous rooms in homes - in the US, the statistic of 200,000 accidents a year in American bathrooms illustrates how hazardous and how common accidents in bathrooms is.

Bathrooms - Elderly Risk

And those considered most at risk are the already vulnerable, especially the elderly. Falling is a top cause of injury in the elderly, and falls can often lead to complications or even become fatal. Breaking a hip for example by slipping in bathrooms can result in loss of mobility, impacting on overall physical and mental health. According to research, most falls happen in the home and bathrooms are a prime concern. As well as slipping in the shower or climbing out the bath, elderly people are more at risk of falling when getting up to use bathrooms in the middle of the night - especially if the lighting is poor.

Bathrooms: Making them Safe

Falls are particularly dangerous to the elderly whose bones tend to be more brittle. But there are simple steps you can take to safeguard your own safety or that of an elderly relative. Bathrooms can be made safer for everyone, not just the elderly if:

•  You ensure there are no obstacles between the bedrooms and bathrooms, such as loose carpet or rugs - use non-skid backing on rugs if you must have one.

•  Make sure if you wear slippers to keep warm, you wear rubber gripped soles - socks can be dangerously slippy on laminate or hard surfaces.

•  Lighting is also crucial, investing in night lights in the hall or run up to your bathrooms will help.

•  If your bathrooms involve staircases, make sure the stairs are clear of clutter and install a hand rail to aid the elderly.

•  Stairs however can be a major difficulty for the elderly, if you can, consider installing a second bathroom downstairs or en-suit facilities if you have the space.

•  Installing grab bars near toilets and bath tubs can aid the elderly using bathrooms.

•  Walk-in showers are easier to get in and out of than baths.

•  Make sure your bathrooms have non slip rubber mats in the shower tray or bathtub and that these are cleaned daily to reduce soap scum.

Looking for Bathrooms? Speak to Bathrooms 365

Bathrooms 365 are one of the UK's leading providers of showers, baths and bathroom furniture and go that extra mile to give the best deals to their customers. Bathrooms 365 are an innovative supplier of bathroom supplies and pride themselves on the extent of their product range which spans from bathrooms suites to shower trays. Bathrooms 365 are delighted to offer quality branded goods at highly competitive prices that are sure to appeal. To find out more about the showers, baths and bathroom furniture available from Bathrooms 365 just call 0844 499 3650 or email info@bathrooms365.com .

 

Bathroom Lifestyles