According to the National Council on Aging, your physical environment greatly affects your risk of falling. Poorly designed rooms, stairs, furniture, and other items throughout a home could create a fall risk for people with mobility limitations. One of the most common rooms in a home where falls occur is in the bathroom. Slippery surfaces are dangerous for seniors living at home since even the slightest balance issue could create a slip-and-fall situation. The good news is there are preventative measures you can take to reduce the risk of falling in the bathroom.
Towel bars may seem like a convenient thing to grab onto when getting in or out of the shower, but they are called “towel” bars for a reason. They are not designed to hold the weight of someone grabbing them or leaning on them. To improve your bathroom accessibility, grab bars should be installed throughout and leave the towel bars for your towels.
Grab Bars Offer A Safe Solution
Grab bars should be the first bathroom addition you make if you have limited mobility or are worried about slipping and falling. They can be professionally installed inside or outside the shower, by the toilet and other areas in the bathroom depending on how yours is designed. If you ever lose your balance or don’t have confidence in your balance, you can rely on grab bars to be strong enough to stop you from falling when you grab them. The sense of security and peace of mind you can have in the bathroom with grab bars is well worth the bathroom addition for most people.
Other Bathroom Accessibility Tips
In addition to installing grab bars, there are plenty of other tips and equipment you can use to make your bathroom more accessible. Take an inventory of the rugs and other items you have on the floor and make any changes if you deem them to increase the risk of falling. Appropriate lighting is also important in a bathroom so you can see if you’re going to be walking on a slippery surface. And if you have a hard time getting in and out of the shower or bathtub, it may be worth looking into a portable shower to reduce the amount of effort required.
One out of every four Americans aged 65 or older fall every year, according to the National Council on Aging. Next Day Access is dedicated to reducing this number by offering bathroom accessibility products and much more. Our goal is to improve the sense of security and stability for seniors living at home. We do so by providing the highest quality products and providing professional installation services so you can have peace of mind knowing you have a reliable product. If you’re ready to improve the accessibility in your bathroom and throughout your home, contact us today to schedule a free home assessment.
