Bathrooms can be Dangerous for Seniors

Bathrooms can be dangerous for Seniors Have you ever wondered on the significance about the smallest room in your home? And yes, any guesses on which portion of the house that is? Well, we are referring to the bathrooms which can turn out to be dangerous spots for seniors! It is alarming to note that one in every four seniors experience falls and injuries at least once annually.

According to the National Institute of Ageing (NIA), nearly eighty percent of these falls occur in bathrooms and numbers of bathroom injuries peak in adults who are above the age of eighty-five. Thus, fall prevention at home plays a crucial role in senior health and safety.

Several fall risk factors cannot be ignored particularly in the context of the elderly population. Health conditions like dizziness, loss of balance and variations in blood pressure are some such causes. Besides that, physical elements like scattered furniture, fallen objects and slippery floors are potential threats. Hence, all senior-friendly spaces call for scrupulous design for aging so that the facilities are fall-proof for seniors to prevent skidding, tripping, falling, fractures and injuries Athulya Assisted Living, a premier and affordable assisted living home in Chennai, has left no stone unturned in providing such safe amenities to its residents including senior-friendly bathrooms.

The numerous safety measures at Athulya Assisted Living including COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) have been meticulously crafted to cope up with seniors’ demands across all its facilities. Starting from floor to carpet, the interior designs are designed to render utmost comfort. As seniors are vulnerable to wet floors and slippery surfaces, sufficient attention is paid to the importance of flooring. Deployment of urbane facilities and toiletry, precise placing of sanitation fixtures and equipment, grab rails and anti-skid mats are a few examples to illustrate the endeavours made here. Skilled Nursing Care is often offered so that the residents get medical intervention in a healing and homely environment.

What makes Bathrooms dangerous?

Most bathrooms have relatively small areas with sharp corners, hard surfaces and fittings.

The activities here also involve frequent sitting and standing, bending and turning around.

Given their frail and unstable bodies, seniors are more likely to have devastating falls.

Some Important Tips for designing Senior-Friendly Bathrooms • Keep the bathrooms clutter-free by organizing the things in appropriate storage cabinets. Shampoo bottles, shower gels, soaps and hairdryers may be kept inside these rather than placing them on the bathtubs or floors.

• Ensure adequate lighting so that all the areas of the bathroom are well-lit to avoid slips and falls especially in the wet areas.

• Keep the necessary bathing accessories at an arm’s reach to bending down, falling or spraining your body.

• Use a hand-held shower head for taking head baths. Usually, these fittings come along with a host of spray setting options to make the water pressure variable. Moveable showerheads also allow easy control and minimize movement to prevent falls.

• If possible, replace bathtubs with walk-in showers. This is recommended because bathtubs pose a greater risk of falling as seniors have to get in and out of them for showering and cleaning.

• Use a weighted shower curtain in the bathroom so that water does not splash much to make the floor and the adjacent areas wet and soggy.

• Install grab bars near the bathtubs, showers and toilet seats so that you may hold on to them with a firm grip to avoid accidental slips.

• Place anti-skid bathmats inside the bathrooms so that there is friction under the feet when you move around. You may put a secure micro-fibre mat outside the bathtub to dry your feet and prevent the floor from getting moist.

• Try to use a raised toilet seat, bathing chair or commode-style chair to reduce the chances of falling. These aids provide a firm and secure sitting area inside the bathrooms to ensure your safety.

• Take the assistance of a caregiver without hesitation if you are unable to perform daily activities like brushing, bathing and dressing independently. Personal care services rendered by these trained assistants are helpful in preventing falls and injuries in the bathrooms.

Hence, bathroom safety is crucial for seniors as a few precautions can go a long way in fall prevention. You may further get in touch with Athulya Assisted Living to explore their wellcrafted aging havens to explore these aspects better.