As seniors start to have more trouble with mobility and health issues, bathrooms become more and more of a concern. Family caregivers may want to pay special attention to current bathroom safety needs as well as consider how safety might change in the future. Personal care at home can help with all of these concerns, while also offering hands-on help to keep seniors safer in the bathroom.
Assess the Bathroom for Safety Concerns
If they haven’t already gone through the bathroom with an eye toward keeping seniors safer, family caregivers need to look closely at the bathroom as it is and determine where safety issues might exist. For example, the shower and bathtub are often a key location for safety devices like handrails, shower chairs, and other assistive devices that keep seniors safe while bathing. Raising the toilet seat and replacing throw rugs with non-slip alternatives are other ideas.
Make Necessary Items Accessible
When it’s difficult to get to necessary items, like soap and shampoo, then seniors might injure themselves while trying to access them. Using shampoo bottles that only need one hand to operate allows seniors to hold onto grab bars, for example. Consider storage of frequently-used items, too. It might be better to make extra toilet paper rolls more accessible even if they’re more visible, especially if that means seniors don’t have to bend or stretch awkwardly to get to those items.
Remove Clutter
If there’s too much in the bathroom, that can make it more difficult to navigate that room safely. And if seniors need help from home care providers, having more room to maneuver is so important for both safety and accessibility. Taking out anything that could be a tripping hazard as well as anything that takes up too much room is a good idea.
Add Accessibility Tools
Shower chairs are one type of accessibility tool, but there are so many others for the bathroom. Showerheads with a longer hose make it easier for seniors to bathe while sitting in a shower chair, for instance. There are also transfer benches that allow seniors to safely get into the tub. Reaching and grabbing tools can help seniors get to items that they can’t access alone. Personal care at home can help seniors find tools that work for them and that help them stay safe, too.
Get Some Help
The best safety assistance for seniors is to have some extra help when they need to be in the bathroom. The idea can be embarrassing at first, but soon they become more comfortable when they realize that personal care at home is there to offer support and help them stay as independent as possible. The key focus is safety, and that’s what personal caregivers want most while helping aging adults with hygiene tasks.
Helping seniors stay as safe as they can be while they’re in the bathroom doesn’t have to be incredibly complicated. If big modifications aren’t possible in the bathroom, personal care at home can help seniors to tackle their hygiene needs along with dignified assistance.
If you or an aging loved one is considering personal care at home in Franktown, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY HomeCare of Parker. 303-953-9924
