Bathrooms are a dangerous place for elderly people. Many accidents can occur in the bathroom simply by their nature. Bathrooms can be the most slippery place in a home and the most dangerous. With tiles being more likely to slip on outside the tub, to water spilling out, and instability occurring while showering. There is no easier place in a home to potentially get injured, making bathrooms an unsafe place for older people. Although bathrooms can be dangerous, they do not have to stay that way. Bathrooms can easily become slip and fall-proof by installing a few adjustments. Placing grab bars in a bathroom can enhance a person’s safety.
Defining Grab Bars for Bathrooms
When it comes to the bathroom, even the youngest and most impaired individuals can fall. However, depending on age, the consequences can vary across the spectrum. Grab bars are pole-like structures that can be installed nearly anywhere but are commonly found in bathrooms. Grab bars are available in multiples sizes and designs based on needs. These poles allow for stability to be granted by those who utilize them. In a restroom, grab bars are commonly found in a bathtub or near a toilet. When grabbing onto them, they offer security and decrease the chances of accidents.
Grab Bar Precautions
While inserting grab bars, they should be placed where they are the most accessible. Seeking advice from experts can assist them to be properly placed. If not, they can come to be useless if installed at random. Once grab bars are installed, ensure that nothing is ever attached to them. For example, towels and clothes should stand free from grab bars. These items can make it more difficult to grab the bar if it is needed. If a towel is hanging and an elderly person reaches for the grab bar, they can easily grab onto the towel, miss, and continue to fall. The bar should always be cleaned with no signs of soap or cleaner attached. These substances can make the bar slippery which will result in a failed situation.
Placing Grab Bars
As mentioned, grab bars should be placed in shower and toilet areas, but where? In tubs and shows, grab bars should be placed on the back wall of a shower or tub. Grab bars are usually parallel. Another place where grab bars are placed in a tub or shower area is by the entryway. Horizontal bars are placed on walls to enter in and out of slippery areas. In tubs with no showers, the bars should be placed near the rims of a tub on each side. These assist in gaining balance from wherever a person decides to get up. Generally, two grab bars are advised to be near toilets.
Gaining Confidence
Grab bars offer a sense of security to seniors. Everyone wants to feel independent in their own home to do basic activities. Having the confidence to remain independent enhancing a person’s quality of life. Rather than depending on others to assist, grab bars are a cost-effective way to remove a senior’s dependency on others in their family.
Adaptable Home Solutions HandRails
Moving around a home can seem like a daunting and difficult situation. At Adaptable Home Solutions, Certified Aging in Place Specialists assists in modifying a home by adding hand bars. With different options to choose from, Adaptable Home Solutions can assist in providing a safe place to live. Homeowners can take a free home survey to see which pick is best for them. Grab bar options to match decor are also available. Once the grab bars are chosen, installation is quick and easy.