January is National Bath Safety Month, and it’s a great time for seniors and their families to look at how they can make bathing safer. Seniors that are aging in place need to be particularly careful about falls. A large percentage of the falls that happen to seniors happen in the bathroom, so it’s very important for seniors and their families to do everything they can to make bathing safer. According to senior safety experts, some of the best ways seniors can stay safe while bathing are:
Get Home Care
Home care can help seniors stay safe at home by making sure their homes, including the bathrooms, are clutter free and safe for them to move around. With home care, your senior loved one won’t have to worry about spills on the floor, towels dropped in a heap, or other hazards that could make them trip and fall. Home care also means your senior loved one won’t be alone. If they do fall, someone will be there to help them and call for emergency help if necessary. All seniors aging should have home care.
Get A Towel Warmer
A towel warmer might not seem like something that a senior needs for safety. But seniors can rush to get out of the shower because they are cold. When they rush, they can be careless and slip and fall on a wet shower floor as they try to get into a robe or towel to get warm. With a towel warmer, seniors can wrap up in a warm towel as they are still in the shower, so they won’t rush out of the shower and risk falling trying to get warm.
Create A Bath Mat Walkway
If the bathroom is small, you can cover the entire bathroom floor in non-slip math mats. But if the bathroom is large, you can use the non-slip mats to create a walkway for your senior loved one. The bath mats are cushioned so they are comfortable to walk on, and they are non-slip, so seniors won’t run the risk of slipping on a spill or a wet floor. They are also easy to clean. Non-slip mats can also be used in hallways and on stairs to make it easier for seniors to get around safely.
Put A Shower Safe Chair or Bench In The Shower
If your senior loved one’s shower doesn’t have a built-in bench, you should add a shower-safe bench or chair to the shower so that your senior loved one can sit down and shower. Many seniors have trouble standing up for an entire shower and may lose their balance. It doesn’t take much for a senior to become disoriented and slip and fall in the shower. Make sure the bench or chair is designed for the shower and has sturdy grips on the bottom, so it won’t slip even in a wet shower.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Jacksonville, FL, please contact the caring staff at Companion & Compassion today. 904-502-9052
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