Bathroom Safety Tips
Don’t let your own home be a safety hazard. A few simple steps can help prevent slips and falls.With its slippery and hard surfaces, the bathroom is one of the most dangerous places in your home. Case in point: In 2008 (the earliest date for which statistics are available), an estimated 234,000 nonfatal bathroom injuries occurred in the U.S. among people 15 and older, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Becoming the primary care giver of a loved one at home means that you must take on certain responsibilities to provide for the health and safety of your dependent. This means that besides preparing meals for your dependent, you as a caregiver must provide an environment that is safe and suited to your dependent needs of mobility and support. Creating this environment usually entails purchasing and installing an assortment of medical supplies and safety solutions to prevent the unthinkable from happening without proper support.
One of the most dangerous spots for a caregiver is in the bathroom. Whether using the toilet or bathing oneself in the shower, the bathroom is an aspect of life where a dependent will want to retain a good degree of freedom. However, slippery and unpredictable puddles and water could spell disastrous if certain precautions aren’t taken. As a caregiver, it is your duty to outfit a bathroom that is safe and accessible. The following are a few bathroom safety medical supplies to give your dependent freedom while remaining in the hand of safety.
Grab Bars – Grab bars are simple handle bars and railings that can be securely installed around the bathroom and in varying sizes. Grabs bars enable stability and an extra boost of strength to perform movement tasks in the bathroom. Standing up from the toilet, stepping into the shower, general stability navigating the bathroom; these are the tasks that lightweight, customizable grab bars are designed for. Install securely where you think they will help, and change locations based on need.
Toilet Safety Rails – Toilet safety rails are solid bars that go alongside a toilet, enabling your loved one to lift themselves up and off the toilet or slowly guide themselves onto it. For when grab bars are not enough, toilet safety rails provide unmatched stability and safety.
Bath Benches – A bath bench is a highly effective method for allowing a safe shower and enabling the freedom of the dependent to wash themselves. A bath bench is a bathroom safety product that sits directly in a shower and acts as a waterproof seat from which your loved one can wash themselves comfortably, and with minimal risk of slipping and harming themselves. With a sturdy base and grab bars to supplement, a bath bench is a great bathroom safety tool for allowing freedom.
Incontinence Products – Though not explicitly bathroom safety products, incontinence products enable freedom and cleanliness when your loved one just can’t make it in time. An emergency incontinence plan should always be in place, with bed liners, incontinence clothing, and underpads. This last line of defense will mean easy clean up and freedom to move around.
Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is another room in your home where many accidents can happen. Young children and senior citizens are the ones that are most prone to bathroom dangers. By observing these bathroom safety tips, you can protect yourself and your family against bathroom accidents.
Safety tip #1: Use non slip mats or strips
Slips and falls are the most common accidents that happen in the bathroom. Prevent slips and falls by putting slip resistant mats or strips on the bathroom floor in areas that can get wet such as in and around the bathtub and in and around the shower.
Safety tip #2: Install grab bars
To further prevent slips and falls, install grab bars in strategic areas within your bathroom such as in and around the bath tub, the shower, and the toilet. Most grab bars are made of stainless steel, which can become slippery, too, so you might want to put rubber grip pads on your grab bars.
Safety tip #3: Mop away puddles
Mop up any puddle that forms after a bath or after using the sink. This helps prevent slips and falls from wet floors.
Safety tip #4: Supervise young children
When young children use the bathroom, they should be under adult supervision. This can help them keep safe, especially when they need to reach for knobs or objects that may be out of reach. It is also common for families to have step stools in the bathroom when there are young children in the house. Put non-skid strips at the bottom of the stools to prevent them from sliding on slippery bathroom floors.
Safety tip #5: Install GFCI for electrical outlets in your bathroom
GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. This is a device that helps prevent electrocution by shutting down the source of power to the outlet when water comes into contact with it.
Safety tip #6: Unplug electrical devices after use
After using your blow dyer or electric shaver, or any electronic device inside the bathroom, unplug them and then put them back in their proper places.
Safety tip #7: Set your water heater to the right temperature
To prevent burns from scalding hot water, always set the temperature of your water heater to a moderately warm temperature. If your water heater does not have a thermostat, teach and train everybody at home to open the cold water tap first before the warm water tap.
Safety tip #8: Keep medicine, make up and cleaning products out of reach of children
When storing these things in your bathroom, make sure you store them in a place that young children cannot access. If you are storing them on a low cabinet, be sure to put a lock on it.
Safety tip #9: Install night lights in your bathroom and along hallways leading to your bathroom
Accidents can happen when you can’t see where you are going. Installing night lights along the hallway leading up to your bathroom and inside your bathroom will promote safety in the bathroom.
Safety tip #10: Clear your bathroom surfaces of things you don’t need
For things that you regularly use in the bathroom, provide a dish or a basket to hold them. As much as possible, make sure your sink, the back of the toilet, and the rim of your bathtub are clear of any clutter. If you have kids who bring toys to the bathroom, limit the toys to just 2 or 3 soft rubber toys and always put them away after their bath.
Educate your family about dangers in the bathroom. Make sure everyone in your household is vigilant against the possible dangers in the bathroom. It is specially helpful to point out danger hotspots to young children. Understanding why we all need to observe bathroom safety tips can ensure the cooperation of the entire household in keeping our bathrooms accident-free.
Did you know that using an electric towel warmer in your bathroom can also improve safety? When you are not rushing to finish your bath, you are more careful in your actions.
Credits: STACEY FEINTUCH, GOOGLE IMAGES, LIBERTY SIMPSON, KELSEY DEWEY & BIOSOFT