Why is the bathroom such a dangerous place?

It’s a funny old place the bathroom it’s where we all go to freshen up, clean up, relax and relieve ourselves, but yet this one room in the house is responsible for 80% of accidents and falls so what’s going on that’s making this room so dangerous.

Well for one thing it has a lot of water running through and several water appliances, the sink, the toilet, the bath. That makes for ample opportunity for water to become slishy and sloshy all over the bathroom which would be fine if it wasn’t for the antico or tiled surfaces, water and smooth surfaces don’t mix well, and unlike when you fall on carpet you know about it when you land on a hard ceramic surface, crack and crunch come to mind and this could be your bones, as we age our bones become more brittle and weaker.

There was a time in the 1980s that British bathrooms had carpets, as a kid I remember my bathroom had a carpet why did we get rid of that!

Well there’s something else to think about as well the bath itself, it is of perilous design, and it is here that you must master acrobats and get in and out whilst wet and naked and dripping in shower gel, this is the crux of the matter and all of these factors come together to form the perfect dangerous scenario for it is here, that people fall and when they do it can mean death with all the nasty edges lying around.

So what can be done?

But what can we do to make bathrooms safer, particularly with those who are more vulnerable to accidents such as the elderly, or people with mobility problems? Fortunately, there are a few modifications that could reduce the risks by a massive margin.

The most effective solution to increase the level of safety in the bath is to replace it with a walk in bath, particularly a deep-soaker or a long one that can serve as a shower. These tubs have easy-access doors to prevent the need to jump over a high side to get in or out they can simply hop in and out of the tub. A deep-soaker lets you soak all the way, it is very good to relax and improve circulation, and reduces the risk of a slip-and-fall. In addition, they are normally fitted with flooring that is non-slippery, low side, grab bars which make entry and exit easy.

A long walk in shower bath that is also a shower may be a game-changer to a family. It puts a shower and a tub in one place and this is ideal in case you have various individuals in the house. Little kids can be assisted by their parents, whereas grandparents are able to make full advantage of the risk reductions. Also large families can be accommodated without causing accidents.

A walk in bath & shower is not the only thing that you can do. Consider additional safety adjustments. Emergency necklaces are also coming into fashion with individuals who may fall due to any reasons, and in this case, the elderly living alone. They often carry a small pendant, which has a button and when a person presses it, it rings an emergency phone line or notifies somebody, whom the person trusts. It may literally help to save your life in case of a fall or when you are unwell in the bathtub. They are lightweight, not cumbersome, and make you and everyone around feel secure-help is a button press away.

Along with a walk-in tub and an emergency necklace, there are a lot of other modifications, which make any bathroom safer. The grab bars are obligatory – place them next to the toilet, into the shower, and around the tub as well to support you even more when you sit down or stand up. The shower and the tub can be equipped with non-slip mats or sticky strips to reduce the slipping on wet floors. What about also having a shower bench to enable people to sit when they are taking a shower to reduce the chances of falling due to standing.

Lighting matters too. The bathroom should be bright so that the hazards can be seen and therefore the bathroom should not be stuffy or dim, especially during the night time when people have a higher probability of stumbling in the dark. Hands-free lights are a victory for those people who have difficulties in turning off and on switches.

Lastly,  we should look at the floor. Polished smooth tiles are good, but when wet they are very slippery its dangerous. In case you are remodelling, take a non slip rug or mat and place it on the floor particularly upon the areas close to the shower or tub- those are the most wet areas.

Such simple, solid upgrades will make the bathroom a much safer place to all. These fixes will reduce the risk of falls and accidents, no matter whether you are adding a walk-in tub, snagging an emergency necklace, installing grab bars, or non-slip flooring, and make the bathroom safer and more approachable by everyone.