By Diana Saufley

In continuing my previous blog about creating safe environments that help prevent injuries and falls, I want to address the bathroom.  This is an area that can be very hazardous for a variety of reasons, including flooring type, shoes worn, physical ability and associated activity and much more needs to be assessed.  While most people think about the adjustment for a larger door frame, once into the bathroom it is essential that accommodations are made to prevent injuries usually resulting from falls.

Bathrooms are a common danger area just due to the nature of the slippery, wet and hard surfaces that exist there.  Paired with reduced strength, mobility, and visual acuity, injuries are common place and require pre-planning. 

Area rugs are often used to step onto from the shower or tub but can increase the risk of falls from tripping or a rug that slips on a slippery floor.  Carpeting in a bathroom can cause an equal risk if lifting ones feet is difficult, pushing a walker or walking with a cane due to the friction that is generated with the inability to slide easily.   In addition, poor lighting matched with equally poor vision can cause voids of the visual field creating a false sense of spatial awareness and lack of depth perception.  Furthermore, bath tubs are very hard to get out of for those that have weakened strength, so modifications for safety are best done as a preventative measure.  Here are just a few suggestions to consider in a bathroom remodeling project.

Part 2 –Suitable bathroom accommodations:

• Choose flooring that will not be slippery or have too much friction.
• Use area rugs that have rubberized backing so they will not slip when stepped on.
• Apply rubber adhesive stickers, shower or bath tub mats, or have a coating applied to the shower to offer some traction and reduce slipping.
• Improve lighting with new fixtures that are brighter in all areas of the bathroom.
• Increase door width to make entry into the bathroom easy for walker and wheelchair.
• Make sure that a wheelchair or walker can be turned in a 360° arc once inside the bathroom.  Walking sideways and backwards is very difficult to do for the elderly and those with mobility impairments.
• Install grab bars in the shower, bath tub and near the commode.  With weakened muscles, pulling oneself straight up or putting wet feed in and out of a shower can be difficult.
• Try to organize items used on a regular basis into a container such as a basket where it is centrally located and easy to reach.
• Do not use a rolling chair of any kind including a boudoir chair for sitting to groom.  Rolling chairs are hazardous for everybody but especially those who are not steady on their feet or have blood pressure or equilibrium issues.
• A light switch that is easily accessible as you enter a room is imperative.  If you must cross a dark room to reach a lamp or light fixture, a light switch should be installed.
• Place a night light in the bathroom for late night trips to and from the bathroom.
• A toilet elevator that brings the need to bend and sit low up to an easier height can be easily installed over an existing toilet.
• Install a zero entry shower into which a wheelchair can be rolled in. The best choice for bathtub is a walk in bathtub that has a door to step into and out of the tub.