How to Create a Safe and Accessible Bathroom for You or a Loved One to Age to Place

Is your bathroom safe and accessible? Do you find it hard to get in and out of your shower? Do you get nervous about slipping? Is it difficult to sit down and get up from the toilet? Do you ever forget to turn off your sink taps?

If you or a loved are facing issues of balance, poor mobility, declining vision or memory impairment then a few changes to your bathroom can play an important role in helping you age in your own home and stay independent longer.

Get a Grip

More than 1 in 3 older adults fall every year, and the bathroom is one of the most common areas for it to happen. Why? Because it's one of the few rooms where we find ourselves on a wet floor, standing on one leg and reaching for our ankles (if you want a good wash).

The fix? Make sure you have a non-slip mat on your shower or tub floor. Alternatively, you can place several pieces of tacky grip tape on the surface of your shower or tub floor. Likewise, if you have tiled bathroom floors, make sure you have a bath rug (with a tacky rubberized underside) placed in front of your shower or tub and in front of your sink.

Hold on a Sec!

One of the most effective ways to prevent falls in the bathroom is to provide yourself or a loved one with a grab bar. Whether you're stepping over the lip of your tub, washing a leg, reaching to grab some soap, or getting up from a toilet, grab bars are a must for extra balance.

There are three main spots to place a grab bar in a bathroom. One by the entrance to the tub, to hold onto as you step over the lip. The second, on the wall inside the tub or shower to hold onto as you wash or reach. The third is next to the toilet, to help as you sit or get up.

A Rinse for the Ages

Whether you have limited shoulder mobility, or arthritis in your hands, cleaning oneself after going to the washroom, isn't always as easy as it once was. Unfortunately, this can often cause unwanted urinary tract infections (UTI's), poor hygiene, bad odours and unclean hands.

We have a solution! Bidet's wash your privates with a gentle stream of water, thoroughly cleaning the area. Bidet's come in all sorts of varieties and budgets, from heated water, driers and multiple stream settings to a basic bidet that can be attached to any existing toilet.

It's Automatic

Do you have difficulty turning on your sink faucet because of arthritis in your hands or wrist? Do you or a loved one ever forget to turn off your taps, risking a minor flood?

The solution is simple. Install a motion censored sink faucet in all your bathrooms. They're easy to install and not that expensive. Presto, you'll have all the benefits of a high tech faucet without the need for touch, making it easier, safer and cleaner.

Take Out the Trash

Do you or your loved one have a medicine cabinet full of expired or no longer used medications? While they may seem innocent, expired medications may lose their effectiveness, which can pose a real danger. Moreover, having a medicine cabinet chock full of random bottles, makes for visual confusion and increase the likelihood you'll make a mistake.

Throw out all expired medications and pills you no longer use. It will reduce the chance of taking the wrong medications and the temptation of taking a potentially addictive drug when not prescribed.

Random Tools in the Toolshed

There are several tools which can help us in the bathroom as we age. We thought we'd put together a quick list and see if any catch your eye:

• Electric toothbrush - Makes it easier when dexterity, mobility and strength may be an issue
• Long handled washing brush - Easily wash your back, bottom and legs where suppleness is required
• Shower chair - makes it easier and safer to wash oneself with balance
• Motion censored night lights - improve vision to and from the bathroom for late night visits
• Toe nail clippers for seniors - large handles, strong leverage, wide blades
• Easy-open medication bottles - great for those with arthritis in the hands or wrist, or poor vision
• Fall detector - many options including wall mounted, neck pendant or voice activated
• Raised toilet or toilet seat - makes it easier to get up and down from the toilet
• Loofah Bath sponge - a lot easier to handle than a slippery bar of soap!
• Motion censored lighting - No need to find a switch in the middle of the night