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A washroom is a troublesome area for elder people, especially those old by age and those with arthritis or balance-related diseases.
A wet floor, slippery walls, or bad light in the washroom can become hazardous for them and even cause severe injuries if any unfortunate event occurs while they are in the bathroom. Thus, it is better to consider safety measures before making a washroom in your house.
To help you out, we have researched some safety measures for senior citizens that can help them to evade injuries or slip in the washroom.
By considering these simple measures like placing the best nonslip bathmats and installing proper Grab bars, you can help the elderly in your house avoid injuries and have safe visits to the washroom.
We have assembled the six best measures to improve bathroom safety for seniors.
Placing Nonslip Mats in the Bathroom
An excellent solution to resolving your worry about slipping is placing proper nonslip mats in the bathroom. However, considering the best nonslip bath mat for elderly can be very challenging. It would help if you kept an eye on long-lasting material, ease of cleaning, proper shape and size with anti-slip and anti-bacterial, and comfortability.
A nonslip bathmat cushions the floor while firmly securing it to reduce the danger of accidents on wet, slick surfaces like porcelain and tile.
However, some nonslip mats are made of simple plastic that can become as slippery as tiles once they get damp or slimy; thus, it is better to look for proper materials like rubber or organic ones like bamboo before selecting your mats.
Rubber mats with pebble contours can be a good idea to save senior people from slipping.
Installation of Grab Bars & Shower Safety Handles
With age or even times when not feeling well, people face problems with free and balanced movement, especially in slippery or darker areas.
You can ward off the risk of slipping and contracting unfortunate injuries by installing proper grab bars at the sides of the washroom and shower safety handles in the bathing area.
But before installing any handle, it is essential to look for the diameter and length of that bar. Longer handles can also be slippery and may break if they are weak.
It is also important to wrap a water-resistant cloth or rubber band around the bar to stop the hand from slippering away.
Considering Flooring Alternatives
Another primary way to help older people with balancing problems on the wet floor is to change the tile flooring of your washroom because glossy tiles can become quite slippery when exposed to water; most floor tiles have a matte surface.
This might not be sufficient, though, to lower accidents. Instead, you can reset the flooring of your bathroom with textured, nonslip materials.
Nonslip rubber, bamboo, linoleum, or cork flooring are a few bathroom bedding options to consider if you want to avoid using tiles.
The non-slippery floor will reduce the risk of injuries and make you less concerned about yourself or your parents when they attend the washroom.
Proper Lighting
The lack of proper lighting in the washroom is also why many people get injured there. Senior people often fail to see things visibly as compared to younger ones. Thus, a bathroom needs proper light to help older people avoid unfortunate events like slipping or getting injured.
Therefore, a washroom with white light is generally recommended for seniors or aged people. Usually, people would love to have grey, blue or other lights in the toilet, but you need to be careful if you have elder people visiting that washroom.
Also, by arranging proper white light, we can help them be mentally relaxed and feel normal while in a toilet.
Put Essential Items within Easy Reach
People aged or have a joint problem don’t have a flexible or stretchable body and range of movements, and thus there can be a chance of them falling over if essential things like shampoo, soap, or even towels are placed away from them.
Hence try to arrange your washroom cabinets easily and make the actual item available rather than hidden or far away.
Install a Raised Toilet Seat
People with joint and balance issues face problems while settling and raising in the lavatory. Thus, installing a prima-raised toilet seat for your parents and older people in your washroom is imperative.
This seat helps them cope with knee pain or other joint issues. A raised toilet seat also enables them to spend relaxing time and have riskless time.
Installing Ergonomic Faucets
Another important way to save seniors from injury is to install easily manageable faucets in your washroom. There are a variety of ergonomic faucets available in the market that can be helpful for you.
Installing easy-to-work ergonomic faucets can save seniors from exerting extra force or body movement while turning on the shower or tabs. Thus, they make their efforts in the washroom less risky or prone to injuries.
Incorporating the abovementioned measures can improve washroom safety for seniors and yourself.
