Now that your parents are seniors, they need a special bathroom that can accommodate their needs and this is in answer to the fall prevention tips that are outlined below in order for your elderly parents to have a safe usage of the bathroom.
To be able to follow the fall prevention tips below you should be open to the idea that your bathroom might need some remodeling so that your parents have lots of room to maneuver themselves in the bathroom and this is important if they are already using mobility aids such as walkers with wheels, canes, or wheelchairs.
•As part of growing old, the vision is more likely affected therefore replace those low wattage lights inside bathrooms and opt for those brighter lights.
Many seniors also wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, see to it that it's going to be a safe journey into the bathroom by installing night lights on the path to the bathroom to help them see where they're going.
•You might want to replace those tubs with a walk-in shower that has no steps to prevent falls and trips as your elderly parents try to walk over the shower steps.
If that cannot be done, you must install handrails that will adequately support the weight of each of your elderly parents because if these handrails don't, then the purpose is defeated.
Another idea is to use a non-slip rubber mat that is large enough in the tub itself for traction.
The mats that you choose should be of a contrasting color than that of your tub so that even thought they may have bad eyesight, they can still see the rubber mat.
•It's possible that while taking a bath, they get dizzy and have a slip and fall accident, hand rails which are vertical bars are a great help as they offer something to hold on to keep themselves steady.
•Bath oils, moisturizers, and oil-based soaps are also the factors that cause seniors to slip when they try to get up from the tub or as they use the shower.
Replace these with soaps that can easily be rinsed off and doesn't leave oil residue.
•The next item in this list of fall prevention tips is very important.
Bathroom appliances such as hair dryers, electric razors, and electric toothbrushes should be removed or kept far away from the water and the path of your elderly parents as these carry the risk of electrocution or tripping on the wires which leads to a bad fall.
•Remove clutter from your bathroom floor such as tissue papers, used towels, laundry baskets, even vanity cases or tables should be removed again to make a wider space for maneuvering.
•If you have smooth tiled floors or marble floors cover which are practically hard to replace without spending much, you can opt for no slip rubber mats or wall to wall carpeting.
•A simple fall safety tip is convincing your senior parents to use aqua shoes when taking a bath.
These are shoes that are safe to wear in water as they have high traction to prevent accidental falls.
•Towels and robes should be within reach but far enough from the shower or tub so that there is less movement on their part to reach those items.
•The last item in this list of fall prevention tips is aimed at the frequently ignored area which is the toilet seat which has a height that is often too low and less comfortable for seniors with arthritic joints, sitting might be easy but it's the getting up where trouble usually lies.
The solution to this is to install booster seats with handrails for support.
This list of fall prevention tips is a great guide to help you or a caregiver you hire do the best job possible in caring for your elderly parents because they shouldn't be denied the chance to live longer lives just because they already belong to the young once generation.
To be able to follow the fall prevention tips below you should be open to the idea that your bathroom might need some remodeling so that your parents have lots of room to maneuver themselves in the bathroom and this is important if they are already using mobility aids such as walkers with wheels, canes, or wheelchairs.
•As part of growing old, the vision is more likely affected therefore replace those low wattage lights inside bathrooms and opt for those brighter lights.
Many seniors also wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, see to it that it's going to be a safe journey into the bathroom by installing night lights on the path to the bathroom to help them see where they're going.
•You might want to replace those tubs with a walk-in shower that has no steps to prevent falls and trips as your elderly parents try to walk over the shower steps.
If that cannot be done, you must install handrails that will adequately support the weight of each of your elderly parents because if these handrails don't, then the purpose is defeated.
Another idea is to use a non-slip rubber mat that is large enough in the tub itself for traction.
The mats that you choose should be of a contrasting color than that of your tub so that even thought they may have bad eyesight, they can still see the rubber mat.
•It's possible that while taking a bath, they get dizzy and have a slip and fall accident, hand rails which are vertical bars are a great help as they offer something to hold on to keep themselves steady.
•Bath oils, moisturizers, and oil-based soaps are also the factors that cause seniors to slip when they try to get up from the tub or as they use the shower.
Replace these with soaps that can easily be rinsed off and doesn't leave oil residue.
•The next item in this list of fall prevention tips is very important.
Bathroom appliances such as hair dryers, electric razors, and electric toothbrushes should be removed or kept far away from the water and the path of your elderly parents as these carry the risk of electrocution or tripping on the wires which leads to a bad fall.
•Remove clutter from your bathroom floor such as tissue papers, used towels, laundry baskets, even vanity cases or tables should be removed again to make a wider space for maneuvering.
•If you have smooth tiled floors or marble floors cover which are practically hard to replace without spending much, you can opt for no slip rubber mats or wall to wall carpeting.
•A simple fall safety tip is convincing your senior parents to use aqua shoes when taking a bath.
These are shoes that are safe to wear in water as they have high traction to prevent accidental falls.
•Towels and robes should be within reach but far enough from the shower or tub so that there is less movement on their part to reach those items.
•The last item in this list of fall prevention tips is aimed at the frequently ignored area which is the toilet seat which has a height that is often too low and less comfortable for seniors with arthritic joints, sitting might be easy but it's the getting up where trouble usually lies.
The solution to this is to install booster seats with handrails for support.
This list of fall prevention tips is a great guide to help you or a caregiver you hire do the best job possible in caring for your elderly parents because they shouldn't be denied the chance to live longer lives just because they already belong to the young once generation.
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