10 Tips For Installing Bathroom Safety Grab Bars – And More!
Do you “see” your bathroom objectively? Are you
a senior – or do senior members of the
family live in your house? It’s a well-known fact among Health Care
agencies that falls are the
not only the second major cause of death, when it comes to accidents
– but that the majority of
these occur in the bathroom.
What steps can you take to increase the safety of your bathroom?
Common Bathroom Hazards
Several! But before we ever get to installing anything, first let’s
look at the most common
hazards reported by emergency personnel:
*Rugs that slip or rumple easily
*Projecting objects people trip over
*Inadequate lighting
*Unstable toilet seats
*Normal toilet seats (too low for those with poor mobility)
*Stiff taps
*Water on the floor
*Bathtub entry and exit
There is another hidden danger most people can’t see: The actual
fear of a fall that seniors and
those with limited mobility live with daily. This fear can limit
confidence, create stress and
insomnia, increase ill health, and diminish enjoyment of life.
Yet it’s human nature to dismiss or just plain not think the needs
of those with limited
functioning go through, when we’re young. If we’re well-brought-up
or especially kind-hearted,
we may soothe ourselves with “token” concern. Many of us take it for
granted that seniors
“just have to be a bit more careful” – or don’t really have any
cause for fear. But like it or not,
this is going to be us, in 10, 20, 30 years from now.
Increasing Bathroom Safety
Installing one of those tubs you see on TV – the ones that open so
seniors can easily step inside
– is not a reality for many people. It’s out of their price range.
But you can still make the
bathroom a much safer place – even without the special tub.
A few are absurdly simple fixes – and yet can mean the difference
between real injury or death,
and safety. Some will cost a little more.
1. Sew rubber mason jar rings or stick double-sided tape onto loose
rugs, to stop them from
slipping – or better yet, remove them altogether. Rugs remain the
Number One bathroom
hazard for the elderly, or those with limited vision. (And do use
rubber “non-slip” stick-
on inserts in the bathtub or shower.)
2. Mount an extendible magnifying mirror, to aid those with impaired
vision in personal
grooming.
3. Use wall-mounted soap dispensers instead of loose bottles. The
latter can be slippery or
cause an accident as someone reaches over trying to catch one
they’ve knocked off the
vanity or bathtub rim. (And be sure to mount them where the person
with physical
challenges can actually reach them!)
4. Replace your fixed shower heads with hand-held ones. Those with
poor mobility do
much better if they can control the shower head themselves. They
don’t have to worry
about not being able to react quickly enough, if the water rushes
out, scalding hot.
5. Install an increased-height toilet. The average toilet is between
14” and 15”. Increased
height toilets are a full 16.5”. This extra 1 ½” - 2 ½” can mean
more than you’ll ever
realize to a senior – or anyone else who has mobility, balance or
back problems
6. Change your faucet – Install one with simple lever handles that
can easily be turned on
and off without requiring physical strength. Lever handles are also
reported to be less
confusing for anyone with a cognitive disorder. (Install one with a
hot limit stop, too –
this stops accidental burns from scalding.)
7. Install a “barrier-free” shower. If you are planning to replace
the shower anyway, this is
one option you might want to take. What does “barrier-free” mean?
The floor of the
shower has a threshold that is less than ½” from the finished floor.
This allows people
with walkers, or those who can’t climb steps, to enter easily. (But
if you are thinking of a
truly wheelchair accessible shower, be aware that this is usually
much larger than the
average shower. This one will almost certainly mean a major bathroom
re-design.)
8. Install a taller sink – one that a chair or wheelchair can fit
underneath. Standard pedestal
sinks are 24”-30” high. Install a vanity or pedestal sink that is
31”-36”.
9. Clamp-On Grab Bars. If your budget is very limited, this can be a
life-saving options.
These tall handles mount easily, without installation of any
hardware, on the rim of the
average bathtub, meaning that those with limited mobility can grab
onto them without
bending, and use them as a support while climbing in and out of the
tub. (If you have a
built-in shower unit, you can replace the whole insert completely
with a new unit –
containing a ready made grab bar.)
10. Bath Chairs and Transfer Seats – these too can free-stand in the
shower, to be removed
when other members of the family are bathing.
The beautiful thing about Bath Chairs or Bath Stools, and Clamp-On
Grab Bars – you can
usually find them very inexpensively at Assisted Living stores
(often under “Medical Supplies”
in the Yellow Pages.)
Also, if there is a volunteer-run “Loan Cupboard” in your town,
devices are often found there –
in great condition. (Some donated by people who are fortunate enough
to only need assistive
devices temporarily.)
Remember – even one of these precautions could easily safe a life.
About the Author: D. Benjamin is the owner of
iapsales.com LLC - a family business specializing in HVAC products. We
are distributors of
Qmark Heaters,
electric tankless water heaters,
bathroom heaters,
patio heaters, electric heaters,
portable air
conditioners & electric towel warmers. Shop on line at
www.heateroutlet.com for these great home improvement products.
Iapsales.com LLC was established in 2003 and is the sister company to
Innovative Air Products located in historical Exeter, NH. We are a 2nd
generation manufacturers’ rep firm dedicated to providing residential &
commercial heating, ventilation and air-conditioning equipment. We offer
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