Each year, approximately 235,000 adults are injured in the bathroom. As bathrooms tend to be smaller with many hard surfaces, they can cause severe injuries. If your dad falls while stepping out of his tub/shower combo, what’s close by? There’s likely a toilet, sink, or heat register that he could hit his head on. While your dad’s goal is to age in his home, you want to ensure he’s safe doing so. It may be time to hire personal care at home providers to help in this situation.
What are the bathroom safety tips to keep in mind?
Install Equipment That Makes Showering Easier to Manage
If your dad has difficulty with balance, a shower seat is important. While he showers, he won’t have to stand up. Look for a seat with suction cups on the legs to secure it to the shower floor. If there’s room, a fold-down shower seat that attaches to the wall is ideal and easy to use. Aim for models that have arms he can hold while standing up and sitting down.
Once he has a shower seat in place, he’ll need a hand-held shower head. With a hand-held shower wand, he directs the water where he needs it. It makes it easier to wash his hair, feet, and hard-to-reach areas.
Add Grab Bars and Make Sure the Flooring Isn’t Slippery
When stepping in and out of the shower, grab bars are essential for support. Your dad holds them to remain balanced. Ideally, they should be near the toilet, on the outside wall as he steps out of the tub, and on the inside wall of the tub.
Flooring both inside the tub and in the bathroom can get slick, especially when your dad’s feet are wet. Figure out how to prevent a fall by having non-slip bath mats that have rubberized backing to keep them from sliding. Inside the shower, look for a shower mat that has suction cups to secure it in place.
Check That Lighting Is Bright Enough
Many bathrooms have plenty of lights, but the lighting in showers is non-existent. You really can’t have light fixtures in a wet area shower/tub unit. If it’s dimly lit in that area of the bathroom, look for waterproof puck lighting.
Waterproof puck lights attach to the walls or ceiling using adhesive strips. They are battery-powered, so you will want to check that they’re still working once a month.
** Note: Slight graininess, best at smaller sizes
Consider the Benefits of Personal Care at Home Aides
Your dad shouldn’t risk his safety trying to shower on his own if he struggles with balance and grip. Hire personal care at home services to assist him while he showers. He may not need an aide to help him wash up, but he could have one there for support while he steps in and out and gets dried off and dressed.
Talk to our personal care at home advisor and get answers to any questions you and your dad have. Go over pricing and schedules and make the necessary arrangements.
Sources: https://nebraska.tv/news/local/each-year-234000-people-injured-in-bathrooms-heres-how-to-protect-yourself
If you or an aging loved one are considering Personal Care at Home Services near Bethel CT, please call and talk to our friendly and dedicated staff. (203) 744-8380
Home Care Advantage provides quality Non-Medical Home Care for seniors and families in Danbury, Bethel, Easton, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Southbury, Weston, Westport, Wilton, and surrounding areas.
With over 25 years of healthcare experience working with seniors, our model and approach to non-medical home care services are straightforward, providing you with the compassionate care you deserve. Providing care from the heart is what we are all about; we proactively work with you and your family to develop a care plan designed to meet your specific need for assistance and budget.
In addition to having an extensive work background in healthcare, my recent educational experience allowed me to earn my Doctorate Degree in public healthcare. This achievement enhanced my knowledge of the ever-evolving healthcare delivery system and heightened my awareness that you cannot go it alone to get the best outcome. Additionally, I have seen how some of my family members struggled and were overwhelmed with ensuring that their parents were safe and their needs were met. They did not know who to trust or where to turn for reliable and affordable help. I have made it our mission to be part of the solution allowing seniors to remain independent and be treated with the respect they deserve.
We are committed to providing excellent care for our clients, just as we would care for members of our own families. Please be assured that I will use my knowledge and background to protect and be a trusted resource for seniors and their families.
You can be confident that our caregivers are carefully screened, dependable, and selectively chosen to meet the specific needs of our clients. They are experienced and highly trained to provide excellent quality care and follow a strict professional code of conduct and ethics.
Our caregivers are competitively paid directly by our agency; there is no additional charge to you. Home Care Advantage files Social Security/Medicare, Federal and State Withholding Tax, and Unemployment Insurance for our employees. Workers’ compensation insurance and a fidelity bond cover the caregivers and supervisory staff.
Our caregivers are here for you and will work hard to assist you with your specific needs in the comfort of your own home. It is said that “Home is where the heart is.” Let Home Care Advantage provide care that will enrich your life and help you maintain an independent lifestyle in the comfort of your own home, “where you want to be.” Call us now! We look forward to working with you and your family.
Dr. Beverly J. Ruekberg, DHP, MPH, MA, Ed.
President/Geriatric Care Manager
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