Bathroom Safety Equipmentknow the hazards. find your solution.Bathroom safety equipment can go along way to avoiding falls- the leading cause of unintentional home injuries.
Falls account for nearly 6,000 deaths each year and 5.1 million injuries. It takes a split second, a misjudged step, a few drops of water on the floor, or many other combination's setting you or your loved one up for this potentially life altering event. These facts should alert everyone to considering evaluating the need for bathroom safety equipment in your bathrooms. The bathroom is full of potential life threatening safety issues. Consider the hard surfaces (toilet, bathtub, counter, towel racks) that can deliver swift blows on the way down from a fall. Or, the loose throw rugs that make that room so cozy...and so deadly when feet get tangled in them. The bathroom is the number place to store medications and cleaning supplies. It is usually full of water (in appropriate and inappropriate places) and electricity. A deadly combination when mixed. Bathroom safety equipment is becoming more and more common place even before it becomes necessary. It becomes evident why bathrooms can literally mean life and death to children and the elderly and compromise safety.
many falls can be prevented.Let's find out how...Bathroom safety is part of home safety. The big picture can help you chose the best bathroom safety equipment as you observe the obvious things but also the small picture and the not so obvious things. Bathroom safety equipment can be difficult to assess depending on you condition or that of your loved one. With so many bathroom safety equipment options out there, it can be confusing and overwhelming. Keep reading to find the necessary information that can better help you in making this high risk room safer while helping you make better purchasing decisions regarding bathroom safety equipment that fills it's purpose - bathroom safety!
until it's fixed tips.In reality, it takes some time to get these toughies taken care of, so until you can, take note of these tips to keep everyone safe:
grab bars. a truly simple solution.
Bathroom safety equipment includes the all powerful grab bar. These come in various lengths and sizes. As short as 12" up to 48" typically. Textured for better grip or untextured. Fancy or plain.Standard Grab Bars, installed properly, are essentially fail proof structurally. Textured surface for better grip ability. IMPORTANT NOTE. Contrary to most pictures, conventional grab bars should be installed either horizontal or vertical. Some pictures depict a diagonal installation. My professional opinion discourages a diagonal install. Why? This lends to more of a "slipping grip" and does not instill safety into the user. If the use should lose footing while holding to a diagonal grab bar, a fall is more likely since the hand can easily slip. Although one must have sufficient grip strength to use bathroom safety equipment safely and effectively, a stronger grip is required for the diagonally placed grab bar vs. the horizontal or vertical bars. horizontal grab bar placement
For optimal support, users are typically seeking something that will lessen their fear of falling. Pushing down on a grab bar provides several benefits. First, this steady's the person. Secondly, this allows for a 'lighter' leg to lift up and over the tub wall while getting in and out. Horizontal bars are best for pulling from a seated or low position Pulling downward on a horizontal grab bar allows someone sitting on a bench or down in the tub to pull directly up with no worry's that their hand will slip down a diagonally placed grab bar.
vertical grab bar placement
Vertical placement of bathroom safety grab bars is best for stepping in our out of the tub. If balance is a great issue than strength, the push - pull aspect of a vertically positioned grab bar caters to balance issues more than strength although strength issues are not totally left out.Vertical placement especially meets the weakness that one might have standing up from a bench or chair in the shower. (Remember that you can adjust that bench up and down!). Although diagonally placed grab bars can meet the initial phase of sit to stand, it is much easier to pull on a vertical grab bar to stand, than on a diagonal or horizontally placed one.
older bathtubs with limited wall space
Older tubs may be fitted next to one or two walls as depicted in the picture below. They may also be free standing and away from a wall. In this case or others that you may have, you may consider extending a vertical metal pole from the floor to the ceiling. This provides support for stepping in and out of the tub as well as assistance on some pulling from a seated position. It can also be used to stabilize balance while getting undressed, drying or adjusting the water temp.
suction cup grab bars - my opinion
Suction Cup Grab Bars:
From my experience, these work great with the proper training. Heavy weight pullers (those needing moderate support to get in and out of the tub/shower) should stick with installed grab bars for optimal safety.
Medical Equipment
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