This certainly isn’t our first blog entry to highlight the many safety measures that are necessary in the bathroom. And it isn’t likely to be our last. As we’ve pointed out on numerous occasions, slips and falls are among the top causes of injuries in Canada each year. You don’t even need to enter your bathroom in order for a slip or fall to occur!
As Sheryl Ubelacker of the Canadian Press reports on HuffingtonPost.ca, “unintentional falls are the most common form of injury across the country.” She goes on to reveal that a Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) report found that falls resulted in almost 1,800 reported emergency department visits and 417 hospital admissions in 2017.
So what makes the bathroom so slip-and-fall-prone?
We all know how slick the surfaces of bathroom floors and bathtubs are. Add the water that is necessary for bathing and you have practically created a scenario where slips and falls are inevitable. This is especially true for elderly individuals and others who suffer with decreased balance and mobility. For such people, placing a shower mat on the bathtub floor is highly recommended.
“One of the best ways to prevent any slips or falls in your bathroom is to purchase a shower mat,” insists PipeWrenchPlumbing.com, “When you purchase a bath mat, it will be equipped with suction cups at the bottom. These cups will not only keep the mat secured to the base, but it will also help provide more of a slip-resistant grip for your feet in the shower.”
Remove obstacles and light the way!
The bathroom is a slippery enough place as it is. You don’t need any extra tripping hazards in there. Remove clothing, cosmetics, towels and anything else that may be lying on your bathroom floor. And be sure to avoid using a throw rug in the bathroom. They are known to bunch up and trip people. In addition, be sure that the lighting in your bathroom is excellent. The better its users can see, the fewer chances of them missing what’s in front of them.
VisitingAngels.com points out that proper lighting is a key to saving elderly individuals from slipping and falling in the bathroom. “For many elderly people, frequent urination – especially at night – is a common complaint,” reads the site, “By installing night lights that illuminate the walkway from the bedroom to the bathroom, you reduce the chance of a fall or injury.”
Make grab bars your friend.
As you’re likely aware, the Advantage Home Health Solutions team is a big advocate of grab bars. They’re inexpensive and very effective ways of providing leverage and balance to bathroom users. According to VisitingAngels.com, grab bars are an indispensable tool for elder care bathroom safety.
“They perform two essential functions,” the site informs, “First, they give your loved one something to grip when moving in and out of the tub or getting on and off the toilet. Second, in the case of a fall, grab bars will be there for your loved one to grab before falling.”
For more information about the grab bars and other bathroom accessibility devices offered by Advantage Home Health Solutions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 403-460-5438. You may also email us by filling out the form on our Contact page!
