Is your bathroom senior-friendly?

Posted By Maryann Porosky On AUGUST 08,2017

One out of three seniors falls each year, primarily in the house. And four out of five household tumbles take place in the bathroom!

At Caring Choices, we have seen the consequences. Falls in the bathroom yield more than scrapes and bruises. The CDC reports that nearly 200,000 Americans are treated in Emergency Rooms each year for bathroom-related falls.

Slippery activities
The main activities that precipitate a fall are

sitting down or rising up from the toilet. This activity accounted for half of all bathroom falls by persons 85 or older;
getting in and out of the shower or bath;
reaching for a towel bar to steady oneself when walking.

Who is at risk?
Persons most likely to fall are those with

poor balance;
poor upper-body strength;
visual impairments;
spatial perception problems;
a history of falling.

What can be done
Of course, exercises to improve balance treat a root cause, as do strengthening exercises, particularly of the upper body.

Home improvements
Read about five simple remodeling fixes to make your bathroom senior friendly in our monthly newsletter for family caregivers.

Depending on family resources and on the frailty of your loved one, you might want to also consider these larger home improvements:

Replace slippery floor tiles with vinyl flooring, cork, or carpet. Vinyl is by far the least expensive, followed by carpet. However, the latter is difficult to keep dry in a bathroom and may be prone to mildew or mold. Cork is a lovely, warm, and soft surface, but it requires careful sealing and maintenance so it doesn’t absorb moisture and swell out of shape. It also is easily scratched or compressed.
Change the swing of the bathroom door so it opens outward instead of inward.This way if the person you care for were to fall while in the bathroom, you or emergency technicians would not be blocked from getting in.
Provide more storage to reduce bathroom clutter. Supplies stored on surfaces often get knocked off and either cause a fall or contribute to loss of balance if an elder bends over to retrieve them. Cabinets on top of the toilet tank are a great use of space. Racks for soap and shampoo within the shower can reduce the need to bend, reach, and potentially fall.
Remove high-gloss finishes. Tiles and walls with high-gloss paint create glare, which can be difficult for persons with visual impairment or spatial recognition problems. Switching to a matte paint and contrasting colors between floor and wall can help a senior who is feeling dizzy get more quickly oriented to an upright position.

Frequent falls?
Has the person you care for started falling now and then? Consider a home assessment. We can help you determine easy changes to prevent falls in the bathroom and around the house. Give us a call at 973-627-4087. As the north New Jersey experts in aging well, we know elder care!