Bathroom safety renovations for senior citizens help to minimize the risk of slipping and falling. It is very important for the senior citizen in your life to consider bathroom safety upgrades so that they can make sure they can continue to live independently. If you have an aging parent or loved one consider one of these five inexpensive bathroom safety upgrades.
Inexpensive Bathroom Safety Upgrades #1: Non-Skid Bath Rug
Many people enjoy having bath rugs in their bathrooms. Bath rugs leave your feet comfortable, and keep you from touching cold tile or getting tile wet. If a bath rug does not have a non-skid backing on it, it needs to be replaced. This is particularly true in the bathroom of senior citizens. There are a variety of non-skid bath rugs available at discount stores, department stores, and home interior stores.
Inexpensive Bathroom Safety Renovations #2: Shower Shelving
Adding inexpensive shelving in the bathtub or shower area is a great bathroom safety upgrade for senior citizens. Setting shampoo, conditioner, and soap in places where they can fall down is dangerous. If a senior trips and falls on one of these items, they could really hurt themselves. Those that live alone could be stuck for hours or days hurt in the bathtub. Shelving not only is a sanitary option, it is inexpensive and a great safety feature.
There are plenty of shower shelving options for your bathroom safety renovation needs, including tension rod options. The tension rod options and free standing corner shelving are the best options. Shelves that are secured using suction cups could also fall and defeat the purpose of installing the shower shelving in the first place.
Inexpensive Bathroom Safety Upgrades #3: Handrails
Installing handrails in showers and next to commodes are great bathroom safety renovations for the senior citizen in your life. Make sure that the handrails are properly anchored so that they don’t fall off if the senior citizen puts all of his or her weight on the handrail. Consider a handrail on both sides of the commode or shower if necessary to help the senior citizen get up and around on their own.
Inexpensive Bathroom Safety Renovations #4: Handicap Toilet Seats
Senior Citizens may have a hard time getting up and down from a regular commode. There are many inexpensive bathroom safety upgrades in the form of handicap toilet seats to choose from. These toilet seats sit up from the toilet so that the senior citizen doesn’t have to sit down as far. This could really help a senior citizen, especially one suffering from arthritis, get up and around from the commode.
Inexpensive Bathroom Safety Upgrades #5: Non-Skid Shower Mats
A shower floor can get very slippery. If the senior citizen in your life insists on taking a shower instead of a bath, consider installing a non-skid shower mat in their tub. These mats usually use suction cups to hold them in place, so they are very easy to wash and remove if your loved one decides to take a bath instead. This inexpensive bathroom safety upgrade will help keep your loved one from having a slip and fall accident in the shower.
Dealing with aging parents is going to become more and more common as the Baby Boomers age. Installing inexpensive bathroom safety renovations in your loved ones bathroom will help them to minimize the risk of accidents that could leave them immobile or injured.
