Bathroom Safety for Elderly Folks: 3 Tips for Creating a Safe Space

Each year, millions of people aged 65 and older are hospitalized due to fall injuries. A full 80% of falls happen in the bathroom. Sadly, fall injuries are among the top 20 most expensive medical conditions to treat, and the cost of treating them goes up with age.

And as a family member, the cost is just one small component of your worries. You want to know that your loved one is safe, no matter where they are in the house.

The bathroom is an important space to watch when you're trying to make a house safe for your elderly loved ones. Even with a home health aide, you want your loved one to retain some degree of independence.

Here are three tips to help with bathroom safety for elderly people.

1. Install Safety Handrails

Safety handrails are a key feature for seniors, especially those with poor balance who have difficulty getting up and down.

You'll need safety handrails in three places: the shower, the bathtub, and the toilet.

Showers and the surrounding walls should be equipped with sturdy shower safety rails. These rails should be anchored to wall studs so that they can support the full weight of an adult (some portable rails use strong suction cups and are easy to pull on and off).

Fortunately, safety bars are a relatively inexpensive investment, and they're relatively easy to install. If you're installing them yourself, this guide will help.

2. Walk-in Tub and a Good Shower Chair

The shower and tub are the riskiest parts of the bathroom. The reason is simple — slippery surfaces.

If your elderly loved one isn't as stable on their feet as they used to be, or if they can't stand as long as they used to, the shower is an especially difficult proposition. The tub is even worse, especially if your loved one has problems getting up and down.

The best place to start is by installing a walk-in tub. This is the most expensive update on this list, but it will make your loved one's time in the bathroom infinitely easier. A standard bathtub is often too high for seniors to comfortably step over, leaving them at risk of slipping.

From there, you should invest in a shower chair with rubber tips. If your tub and shower are separate, invest in a tub with a bench.

3. Put Essential Items in Easy Reach

Finally, make sure to put essential items within easy reach.

Even if your loved one has a sturdy seat, they can still slip if they try to reach for items.

A shower caddy mounted to the wall at arm height can make showers infinitely easier. Ideally, your loved one shouldn't have to stretch or bend, so measure the caddy's placement accordingly.

If you can, it's a good idea to install dispensers on the wall of the tub or shower. That way, you won't have to worry about bottles slipping out of your loved one's grip.