As people age, many things get tougher. Seniors can begin to have trouble doing things like using a restroom, both to relieve themselves and bathe themselves. There are some changes you can make to a bathroom to make it easier for seniors to use.
Physical Accessibility
Moving is one of the first things many seniors have trouble with. Pain and stiffness make getting from one place to another a hassle. Some need a cane, walker, or wheelchair to help them move from place to place. Stairs become almost impossible to climb. Making sure there’s a full bath on the same floor as a senior can help remove some of the difficulty. Making sure the bathroom is spacious enough for them to use any mobility device they may have also makes it easier to get into the bathroom to do their business.
Lighting
Vision problems can make any task harder. Even with glasses, a senior may have trouble seeing well enough in the bathroom. This is because many bathrooms are poorly lit. Younger people can see well enough in dim light that this isn’t an issue for them. Most seniors have poor vision in dim light even with glasses. Making sure the bathroom is well-lit can help a senior a lot.
Rough Tile
The bathroom is the most common place for falls to occur. If a senior falls, they can be seriously injured. Sometimes, the injuries are permanent, and they lose the independence and mobility they still had. There are several ways to reduce the change of a fall. One way is to install rougher tile. Rough tile will be less slippery when wet, so a fall will be less likely.
High Toilet
Lowering themselves enough to sit and then having to get back up again can be an issue for many seniors. Installing a higher toilet is a simple fix to this issue. Handicap bathroom stalls have higher toilets for a reason. People who have mobility issues, including seniors, have a harder time sitting at the height most people sit at and then getting up afterward.
Walk-in Tub and Shower
A tub shower combo can be almost impossible for seniors to use. The high step makes it hard to get in and out. The interior usually becomes slick when wet. Even young people who don’t have mobility issues sometimes slip and fall in the shower. And, people who cannot stand either have to lower themselves into the tub and then get back up again once they’re done bathing. The alternative is to just skip bathing, which is disgusting and unpleasant for everyone in the household. A walk-in bath and shower combo can solve all these problems. It still has high sides to keep bath water in but there’s a door to make entry easy. The interior is usually made of a material that isn’t as slippery, minimizing the chance of a fall. There’s often also a bar to hold onto to further protect against falls. And, the high seat in the bath will give people who can’t stand to shower a place to sit to bathe that’s easier to get out of.
Navigating the world as a senior can be tough. Growing older comes with a host of problems that just can’t be solved. But, making the world around seniors more accessible can make these problems easier to deal with. Redesigning your bathroom with any seniors in your home in mind is a simple way to make life a little bit easier for them.
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Bathing should be a soothing experience, regardless of age or mobility challenges. When it comes to your daily routine, you should never have to choose between comfort, safety, and independence — and now, with Safe Step Walk-In Tubs and Walk-In Showers, you don’t have to.
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