SYNERGY HomeCare is helping keep you and your family safe by attempting to minimize the nearly 43,000 bathtub injuries that occur every year in the United States[1]. One of the biggest safety hazards for seniors can be the bathroom, but the following tips can help maximize your own personal safety or the safety of your elderly family members.

Bathtub and Shower Safety

The bathtub can be particularly hazardous for seniors, so taking precautions is of the utmost importance. In order to ensure a safe bathroom, your loved one’s shower and bathtub should always have properly installed and appropriate grab bars—never towel racks or other make-shift safety objects 2—and non-slip tile or non-slip bath mats that do not easily move. If the shower is free standing or the bathtub is one in which grab bars are difficult to install, shower seats are also a nice way to ensure safety. Also, if your loved one enjoys having a bathtub but has difficulty climbing in and out of one, there are also options for tubs with built-in hinged doors that are installed by professionals.

Toilet Safety

The standard height of a toilet seat is 15 to 17 inches[2] and can sometimes cause problems for seniors with a limited range of motion. There are many different options for both permanent raised seats and removable extensions that can raise the height from about 3 to 6 inches. Grab bars on the sides of the toilets are also recommended for the safety of your loved one and can make this part of the bathroom experience much easier.

Water Safety

To avoid the possibility of water scalding, consider installing single lever bath and sink faucets which are much more predictable and easy to operate. Adjusting the water heater to a maximum of 120 degrees is another way to prevent burns 3.

At SYNERGY HomeCare we’d like to invite you and your family to be healthy, safe and happy! For more information on how our caregivers can help keep your loved one safe in the bathroom and throughout the rest of the house give us a call at 877-484-4302.