Blog > Celebrate National Bath Safety Month With These Tips

Celebrate National Bath Safety Month With These Tips

January is National Bath Safety Month, and many seniors need safer baths and showers. So this is a great time to examine your mother or father’s shower and bathtub with an eye to making safety improvements.

Why Is Bath Safety So Important For Seniors?

Bathtubs and showers are very slippery places. So many people fall when showering because the soap and water create a perfect environment for sliding off one’s feet.

This is particularly dangerous to people over 65 because falling at that age is serious business. Where a twenty-year-old might get up from the shower floor, dust himself, and go on with his day, a senior could easily end up in the hospital.

Senior bones are more brittle, so a fall is more likely to break a bone. The hip bones are particularly vulnerable in the elderly. And a broken hip frequently leads to infection, immobility, blood clots, and further complications.

The Low-Hanging Fruit

With falls in mind, adult children will want to study the features of their senior’s bathrooms for fall risks. Are there sharp corners? What surfaces get slippery? You need to consider not just the bathtub and shower floor themselves, but also the floor onto which the senior steps out of the bath or shower. People risk falling on the bathroom floor if it gets wet.

Non-slip stickers and runners make bathtub and shower floors much safer, according to elder care experts. Make sure there is a non-slip, rubber bath mat to step on to when exiting the bath.

Seniors who take baths may well need a grab bar or installed handles to help them stay independent. Make sure to locate these bars where the senior needs support.

If there are sharp corners where a senior could injure himself, you can tape towels around them. It’s also a good idea to mark where the hot water tap should be turned to, so as to avoid burns from too hot water.

Higher Cost Improvements

If you can afford it, a walk-in bathtub is ideal for seniors because it eliminates the danger posed by getting in and out of a traditional bathtub. Walk-in bathtubs may allow a senior to continue bathing himself and enjoy the benefits of independence.

Glass shower doors should also be replaced with plexiglass or plastic sheets. If a senior falls against a glass door, it could make the fall much more injurious.

Hiring Professional Elder Care Can Help With Bath Safety

Of course, the safest way for a senior to bathe is with the help of an elder care aide. Seniors who are in wheelchairs or have other mobility issues, such as poor balance or stamina, greatly benefit from such home care.

At bath time, a home care aide can draw a bath at exactly the right temperature. Then she gently guides your mother or father into the bath, making sure your senior gets in and out without bumps. Because they observe seniors day to day, these home care agents can also recommend exactly which bathroom improvements your senior needs.