If you have an aging parent moving in, you want to ensure their safety and security in their new home. Bathrooms can be especially risky places for seniors with their slippery floors and inaccessible features. Fortunately, you can update your bathroom to provide additional elderly assistance and support.

How to Make a Bathroom Safer for Seniors

1. Put Up Grab Bars

Grab bars will help seniors support themselves, navigate more smoothly from seated to standing positions and vice versa, and decrease some of the fatigue of standing on one's own. Place grab bars in easily accessible spots where an older person might need assistance, like on the sides of the shower and around the toilet. Choose bars with a matte or nonslip surface.

2. Lay Nonslip Rugs on the Floor

Bathroom floors are often made of hard tile or linoleum that can get slippery after collecting spills from showers and sinks. Lay down nonslip rugs with strong, floor-gripping undersurfaces. Similarly, apply nonskid stickers to the bottom of the tub to reduce the risk of falls in the shower.

3. Install a Low Shelf

Seniors should have easy access to their grooming products and tools, medications, and any other personal care items they might store in the bathroom. If you already have shelving installed, such as a closet or medicine cabinet, clear out the lowermost shelf for your loved one. If you don't have any readily available shelving, install some at a height even with the senior's sightline.

When you need additional elderly assistance for an aging loved one, trust the in-home caregivers at CareResource Hawaii. Serving the Honolulu area, they offer a range of home health care options, including respite care, physical and speech therapy, and skilled nursing support. Call (808) 599-4999 or visit their website for more details about their elderly assistance services.