Bath Safety Tips for Seniors - Bath Safety Month

Do You Know the Hidden Dangers in Your Bathroom?

JANUARY IS NATIONALBATH SAFETY MONTH

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Note: This list is for information only and not a substitutefor a consultation with a qualified professional.

200,000200,000ACCORDING TO A UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDY. TO HELP STEADY THEMSELVES, MANY OLDER ADULTS USE BATHROOM FEATURES LIKE COUNTERS AND TOWEL BARS. BUT IMPROPER USE OF THESE ITEMS CAN CAUSE FALLS, A DANGER NEARLY ONE IN THREE SENIORS EXPERIENCES EVERY YEAR. SOME OF THESE FALLS ARE MINOR, BUT MANY ARE SERIOUS, LEADING TO BROKEN BONES AND LONG-TERM MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

1 OUT OF 3 PEOPLE OVERAGE 60 HAVE TROUBLEGETTING IN OR OUT OFTHE BATHTUB OR SHOWER,

THERE ARE NEARLY

BATHROOM ACCIDENTS PER YEAR,MANY OF THEM PREVENTABLE.

IN A STUDY OF PEOPLE AGE 72 AND OLDER, THE AVERAGE

HEALTH CARE COST OF A FALL INJURY TOTALED

$19,440$19,440WHICH INCLUDED HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, EMERGENCY ROOM AND

HOME HEALTH CARE, BUT NOT DOCTORS’ SERVICES, ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.



$30,000,000,000

IN 2010, ACCORDING TO THE CDC, THE DIRECT MEDICAL COSTS OF FALLS, ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, WAS

$30,000,000,000THAT’S THE SAME AMOUNT OF FEDERAL RELIEF THAT NEW YORK GOVERNOR CUOMO HAS REQUESTED FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE SANDY!



Are you putting your health in danger by using any of your bathroom features unsafely? Find out

here...



BUT 7O% OF OLDER ADULTS USE SHOWER FEATURES LIKE TOWEL BARS TO HELP STEADY THEMSELVES WHEN GETTING OUT OF THE SHOWER OR ONTO THE TOILET.

TOWELS AREN’T BUILT TO SUPPORT MUCH MORE THAN THE WEIGHT OF WELL, A TOWEL.

Towel Bars

Instead, install grab bars designed to hold your weight.



Sliding Glass Door

THREE-QUARTERS OF OLDER ADULTS WHO USE SHOWER STALLS HANG ON TO THEIR SLIDING GLASS DOORS FOR SUPPORT.

Use grab bars instead, or switch to a shower curtain to break yourself of this habit.



Slippery Surfaces

SLICK FLOORS AND COUNTERS ARE FALL HAZARDS.

If you feel unsteady in the bathroom, have a professional install a tension pole between the floor and ceiling to give you something to hold on to.

Place non-stick mats on shower floors, as well as on the floor in front of the tub or shower stall.



Bathtub Sides

IF YOU HAVE A SHOWER TUB INSTEAD OF A WALK-IN SHOWER, YOU HAVE TO STEP OVER THE TUB’S HIGH SIDES EVERY TIME YOU GET IN, INCREASING THE RISK THAT YOU’LL LOSE YOUR BALANCE.

Consider installing a transfer bench that allows you to get on the seat from outside the tub, and then slide over safely into the tub.



Poorly-Lit Pathway

WHEN YOU GET UP TO USE THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IS YOUR PATHWAY WELL-LIT, OR ARE YOU SHUFFLING TO FIND YOUR WAY?

Install a nightlight (or a few) to illuminate your way to the bathroom and reduce the risk of falls.



Out-Of-Reach Items

ARE YOUR TOWELS, SOAP, AND SHAMPOO WITHIN EASY REACH, OR DO YOU HAVE TO CONTORT YOURSELF TO GET THEM?

Make sure your bathroom items are easily accessible.



Low Toilet Seat DO YOU FIND YOURSELF PLOPPING DOWN ONTO THE TOILET? IT MAY BE TOO LOW FOR YOU.

Consider purchasing a raised toilet seat to make using the facilities easier and safer.





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Bath Safety Tips for Seniors - Bath Safety Month

Health & Medicine

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