Many accidents happen in bathrooms, so check the safety of the bathroom that you will use for home care.
Safety
- Cover all sharp edges with rubber cushioning.
- Put lights in the medicine cabinets so mistakes are not made when taking medicine.
- Remove locks on bathroom doors.
- Use nonskid safety strips or a nonslip bath mat in the tub or shower.
- Think about putting a grab rail on the edge of the vanity. (Do not use a towel bar.)
- Remove glass shower doors or replace them with unbreakable plastic.
- Use only electrical appliances with a ground fault interrupted (GFI) feature.
- Install GFI electrical outlets.
- Set the hot water thermostat below 120° F.
- Use faucets that mix hot and cold water, or paint hot water knobs/faucets red.
- Insulate (cover) hot water pipes to prevent burns.
- Put in toilet guard rails or provide a portable toilet seat with built-in rails.
Comfort and Convenience
- If possible, the bathroom should be in a straight path from the bedroom of the person in your care.
- Put in a ceiling heat lamp.
- Place a telephone near the toilet.
- Provide soap-on-a-rope or put a bar of soap in the toe of a nylon stocking and tie it to the grab bar.
- Place toilet paper within easy reach.
- Try to provide enough space for two people at the bathroom sink.
- If possible, have the sink 32”-34” from the floor.
- Use levers instead of handles on faucets.
- Provide an elevated (raised) toilet seat.
Hi Indayemma, Thank you very much for your comment. Non-slip bathmats and strips are fairly common items, they shouldn't be too hard to track down. A few locations that carry them are Amazon.com, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Target. I hope that gives you some idea as to where to look. Good luck and take care -- Emily | Community Manager
My husband and I are scared of falling every time we take a shower in the bathtub. We always take showers and never soaking in the bathtub. Do you know where we can buy non-slip bathmats or bath strips?
Also consider having the door to the bathroom reversed to open out (most open in). If someone falls, or needs help, they may be blocking the door. Having the door reversed should be done by a carpenter.