Bath Tub Safety for Seniors

January is Bath Safety Month and while it’s important for all people to think about safety when it comes to the tub, seniors should pay special attention to their own safety whenever they are using the shower or the bathtub or when they are in the bathroom near to the bathtub.

Seniors are often at risk for many injuries in all areas of their homes, especially if their homes have not been retrofitted for senior living. Some of the most common types of injuries that befall seniors in their own homes include:

• Slipping and falling on slippery surfaces, slick carpets, wet surfaces and where objects have fallen on the floor and create a movable surface, like clothing, papers or packages.
• Dropping objects that land on feet or legs.
• Falling down the stairs or even up the stairs.
• Slamming doors or cabinets on fingers, arms, toes or legs.

Here are some of the best ways that you can protect yourself from bathtub injuries so that you can enjoy getting cleaned up, even in your senior years, rather than feeling like it’s just another chore that you can’t take care of on your own:

• If you have a standard bathtub have it replaced with a walk-in bathtub. This will reduce your risk of tripping over the edge of the bathtub or creating a situation where you are unable to get out of the tub safely.
• If you have a bathtub, install safety features, like a full size door that you can’t fall over from inside or from outside, and a pull cord that can stop the water flow or alert an outside party that you need assistance.
• Put rubber bath mats in your bath tub and your shower to prevent slip and fall accidents.
• Use shower seats and handheld shower heads to help minimize your risk of slipping by having to stand in the shower.

Regardless of the risks in your own home, there are many different ways that you can protect yourself from being injured, especially when it comes to using the shower or the tub.