Roll Mobility Blog
7 Tips for Senior Bath Safety
A bath chair makes bathing safer.
Bathing should be enjoyable for the elderly, but because of the fear of falling, they may avoid baths. Here are 7 things you can do to make bathing safer for your loved one.
- Install grab bars near the toilet and bath tub or shower. This helps the elderly person keep their balance when sitting down, standing up, or stepping into the bath tub. Replace towel bars with safety grab bars. If the elderly person begins to fall, they will grab on to anything nearby to stop the fall. A towel bar could rip away from the wall, so make sure there are grab bars near the tub, toilet, and sink.
- Replace glass shower doors with a shower curtain to prevent the door from coming out of its tracks or shattering. A glass shower door could come out of the tracks if the elderly person grabs on to it to keep from falling.
- Provide a bath bench or shower stool so that the elderly person can sit while bathing. You can place a colored towel on the seat to prevent slipping and make it easier to see the chair before sitting down.
- To give the elderly person more independence, install a hand-held shower head to make it easier for them to wash different areas of the body while seated on a bath bench.
- Use non-slip mats on the bathroom floor and on the bottom of the tub or shower. Wipe up any water on the bathroom floor immediately to prevent slipping.
- Get everything ready for the bath or shower in advance: towels, wash cloths, soap, bath mat, shower chair, and any other grooming aids. Make sure they are within easy reach.
- Adjust the water heater to low (about 120 degrees) to prevent scalding. If you are helping the elderly person bathe, always check the water temperature before helping them wash. Wait long enough after turning on the water to let it reach the set temperature.
Fall Prevention at Home for Seniors
A bath or shower chair can prevent falls in the bathroom.
The older you get, the more serious a fall can be. Broken bones are common in the elderly, and they take much longer to heal. The best way to prevent injuries from a fall is to prevent falls in the first place! Here are some tips to prevent falls at home.
- Take time to get your balance when standing up after lying down or sitting. Standing up too fast can make you dizzy.
- Wear supportive shoes with rubber soles and low or no heels. The rubber provides better traction than stocking feet.
- Use a cane or rolling walker around the house, especially when going from room to room. A little extra “balance check” may be all you need to prevent a fall.
- Keep the floor and stairs free of clutter. Arrange furniture to the outside of the room to make a clear path for walking.
- Use chairs with sturdy arm rests to help you sit down and get back up.
- Remove throw rugs or fasten them securely to the floor with carpet tape or non-skid backing.
- Keep items within easy reach. Avoid stretching or bending over to reach objects. Use a step stool or reacher if necessary.
- Install grab bars in the bathroom near the toilet and shower. Use non-skid strips on the bottom of the bathtub or shower. A raised toilet seat and shower chair can also prevent falls in the bathroom.
Bathroom Safety with a Bath Transfer Bench
A bath transfer bench makes showering easier and safer.
When it comes to keeping your loved one safe, the bathroom is one of the first places to start. Bathroom safety products can make your loved one feel more secure and stay more independent by preventing falls.
Getting in and out of the bathtub is difficult for seniors who suffer from weakness or injury in the lower body and hips. Stepping over the tub wall can throw your body off balance, and your feet can easily slip on the tub floor or on the slippery tile outside the tub.
A bath transfer bench makes it easier and safer to get in and out of the tub. Instead of stepping over the side of the tub, you can sit down on the bench, lift one leg at a time into the tub, and then slide over to the center of the bench.
A transfer bench not only keeps you safe getting into the tub, but it also keeps you safe while taking a bath. Even though sitting on the tub floor might not be a possibility anymore (since getting up from the tub is difficult or impossible for seniors with weakness or injuries), you can still sit down while bathing or showering. Sitting on a bath transfer bench is safer and more comfortable than standing. With drainage holes, non-slip texturing, or a towel draped over the seat, the chances of slipping are greatly reduced. A hand held shower head makes it easy to rinse off and control the flow of water.
For safety, make sure the bath transfer bench is sitting solidly on all four legs. The bench should not rock or tilt to one side.
Bathroom Safety for Seniors
A raised toilet seat makes it easier to stand up.
When it comes time to update your loved one’s home for aging in place, the bathroom is one of the first places to begin. Because of the risk of slipping on wet surfaces climbing in and out of the bathtub, as well as other hazards, the bathroom is a high risk area for falls. With a few improvements, however, you can reduce the risk of falling and increase the safety of the bathroom.
Grab Bars
Grab bars are the first step in making the bathroom a safer place. Whether it’s getting in and out of the shower, getting up from the toilet, or bending over to turn on the tub faucet, grab bars provide a solid place to hold for balance and assistance.
When you start to fall, your first instinct is to grab onto something solid. If all you have to grab is the shower door or a towel bar, the results could be disastrous. Shower doors and towel bars are not designed to hold your weight. Grab bars, on the other hand, are specially designed to keep you from falling. Properly installed, a grab bar will not break away from the wall where it is mounted.
Toilet Safety
To make it easier to sit down on the toilet and get back up again, a raised toilet seat or an over-the-toilet commode with grab bars can help. A raised toilet seat means your loved one doesn’t have to bend over as far to sit on the toilet, and it doesn’t take as much leg strength to stand up again. Grab bars around the toilet also assist the user in getting up and down and keeping their balance.
Bathtub Safety
For bathtub safety, a bath bench or transfer bench allows the user to sit while washing up. A bath or shower bench provides comfortable seating with either a plastic molded chair or a padded seat and optional backrest. A transfer bench extends outside the tub, allowing the user to sit down and lift one leg at a time over the tub wall, then slide over to the middle of the bench. Make sure you install a hand held shower head as well, for rinsing hard-to-reach spots.
Again, grab bars are important around the shower/tub area as well as around the toilet. They not only prevent falls by helping your loved one maintain balance, but they can also stop a fall after your loved one loses their balance.
How to Use a Commode
A stand-alone commode can be used in the bedroom or over a standard toilet.
If your loved one finds it difficult to make it to the bathroom, or if he or she needs more support for using the toilet, a commode can provide the extra assistance and safety needed. A commode can be used as a stand-alone toilet in the bedroom or as a support system over a standard toilet in the bathroom.
Sitting Down
- Before using a commode, make sure it is level and stable and that the brakes are fully locked if the commode has wheels.
- To sit down on a commode, back up until the back of your legs touch the commode.
- Reach your arms back and grab the armrests. Get a firm grasp on both armrests before attempting to sit down on the commode.
- Slowly lower yourself onto the commode, bending your elbows, hips, and knees as you sit down.
Standing Up
- Use both armrests to push yourself up from the commode. Stand up slowly, using your legs as much as possible.
- Stand still for a minute or two before walking to allow your body to adjust to the change in elevation.
What to Look for in a Bath Seat
A back rest provides extra support and balance.
Looking for a bath seat? Here are some of the features available on bath seats and shower benches that can increase comfort and improve safety for aging seniors and individuals with disabilities.
Seat
A textured plastic seat is not as comfortable as vinyl, but it includes drainage holes to reduce slipperiness. Padded vinyl is gentle on delicate skin and provides a softer seat.
For added safety and comfort, place a towel on the bath seat. The towel increases comfort on a hard plastic seat and reduces slipperiness on a vinyl seat. Choose a brightly colored towel for individuals with poor vision. Since most bath seats and tubs are white, a colored towel makes it easier to see the bath seat.
A seat cut-out makes it possible to wash personal areas without standing up. This comes in handy for individuals who find it difficult to stand. However, good posture and balance is required to keep from slipping into the cut-out, especially on vinyl padded seats, which tend to be slippery when wet.
Back
A back support is available on some bath seat models for balance and comfort. A padded back rest is softer than hard plastic, but you can drape a towel over the back to make it more comfortable.
Legs
Wide suction cups on the bottom of each leg hold firmly to the bottom of the tub and increase the stability of the bath seat. The legs are adjustable to accommodate different tub heights. Make sure all four legs are adjusted to the proper height and the seat is level before using the bath seat.
Bathroom Safety: Transfer Bench
A transfer bench can reduce the risk of falling in the bath or shower.
Using a transfer bench can reduce the risk of falls in the bathroom. Since fear of falling is one of the major causes of anxiety for the elderly, a transfer bench can make bathing a much more pleasant and safe experience both for the caregiver and the elderly person.
Choosing a Transfer Bench
To reduce slipping, choose a textured plastic seat. The drainage holes prevent water from puddling on the seat.
For more comfort, choose a vinyl padded seat or drape a towel over the molded plastic seat. Placing a towel on top of the vinyl padding reduces slipperiness that can occur because of the wet vinyl.
A back rest can increase comfort and improve sitting posture. Drape a towel over the back rest to make it more comfortable.
To make it easier to clean personal areas without standing up, you may want to consider a transfer bench with a cutout. Using a bath bench with a cutout requires good sitting posture to avoid slipping into the cutout.
Using a Transfer Bench
To avoid getting the bathroom floor wet, cut two slits in the shower curtain and insert this section of the curtain through the slit in the transfer bench. If your shower has doors, you will need to remove the doors and replace them with a shower curtain.
Glass shower doors are a potential safety hazard, since the person in the shower may automatically grab onto the door handle to keep from falling. The shower doors are not designed to hold weight, and if they come out of the tracks, they could cause serious injury.
Adjust the transfer bench legs so that the feet sit firmly on the tub floor and the seat is level. The legs on the outside of the tub will be longer than the legs inside the tub, since the bottom of the tub is higher than the bathroom floor. The seat should be adjusted to a comfortable transfer height for the user.
Transfer Bench FAQs
A transfer bench makes it easier and safer to get in and out of the bathtub.
My loved one has very limited movement. How do I help him/her slide over on the bench?
Helping a loved one slide over on a transfer bench requires considerable caregiver strength. If your loved one needs help scooting over, we recommend a sliding or swiveling transfer bench. Keep in mind that sliding a transfer bench over with a person sitting on it still requires considerable strength. Use proper transfer techniques to avoid injury, and ask your loved one to help with the transfer as much as possible.
How do I keep my loved one from slipping while seated on the bench?
To prevent slipping, choose a transfer bench with drainage holes and a textured seat. To reduce slipperiness even more, place a folded towel on the seat. A colored towel provides a visual contrast between the tub and the transfer bench, which is helpful for individuals with poor vision or trouble with depth perception.
How do I keep the floor from getting wet?
Most transfer benches include a built-in slot for the shower curtain. Simply cut two slits in the shower curtain where it falls above the slot, and slip the shower curtain cutout through the slot. If your shower has sliding doors, you will need to replace the doors with a shower curtain in order to use your transfer bench and keep the floor dry.
How do I adjust the height of the transfer bench?
Your transfer bench comes with adjustable height legs. Press the release button on the leg, slide the leg up or down to the desired height, and make sure the release button pops all the way through the adjustment hole. Adjust the two legs outside the tub to the same length. Adjust the two legs inside the tub to the same length as well. All four legs should be adjusted so that the transfer bench is level.
How do I clean the transfer bench?
Wash the transfer bench with mild soapy water. Wipe the bench dry after every use.
How to Install a Bath Bench
Make sure the bath bench properly fits your bathtub.
Since every bath bench is made differently, make sure you get one that will properly fit your bathtub. An ill-fitting bath bench is unsafe. The width of the tub, the type of side walls (rounded or flat), and the size and layout of the bathroom all need to be considered when purchasing a bath bench.
Installing the Bath Bench
If the bench is a transfer bench, place two legs of the transfer bench inside the tub wall and as close to the far wall of the tub as possible. The handle should be on the same side as the wall. Allow the other two legs to rest on the bathroom floor outside the tub. Most transfer bench backrests are reversible. Attach the backrest on the side that allows the user to face the direction that he or she prefers.
If the bench is a bath seat (seat only or with backrest), place the bath seat inside the tub. All four legs should be flat on the bottom of the tub floor. Do not allow the legs to rest on the curved sides of the tub.
Adjust the length of the legs so that the bench is level.
Adjusting the Height
Adjust the height of the bath seat as needed by pushing in the snap button and sliding the leg tube up or down until the button protrudes through the correct adjustment hole. Repeat for the remaining three legs. Make sure all four legs are adjusted to the same height by counting the number of holes between the bottom of each leg and the push button. Ensure that the legs are locked in place before use.
Choosing a Commode Chair
This portable commode chair is designed for convenient bedside use.
A commode chair can increase bathroom safety or serve as a portable toilet for aging seniors and individuals with disabilities or injuries. Use the following information to help you figure out what type of commode chair and features that you need.
Who would benefit from using a commode chair?
Individuals who need to use a commode chair may be confined to one room because of illness or disability. They may be confined to a level of their home with no bathroom. They may have difficulty using the toilet because of disability, weakened muscles, or poor balance. A commode chair reduces the risk of falls while in the bathroom or on the way to and from the bathroom.
What types of commode chairs are available?
Different types of commode chairs are available, depending on how you plan to use the chair. For example, you may want to use the chair as a bedside commode, for transportation to and from the bathroom, or as an elevated seat over the toilet. Commode chairs provide for a variety of needs and often serve more than one purpose. They can be designed for use in the bathroom, shower, or bedroom.
Types of Commode Chairs:
- Stand-alone commode chair (standard size, extra wide / heavy duty, and drop arm styles)
- Over-the-toilet commode chair (for added height and safety)
- Elevated toilet seat (locks onto a regular toilet)
- Combination shower/toilet/wheelchair commode
- Wheels / no wheels
This drop-arm, heavy duty commode can support up to 1000 lbs.
What should I look for in a commode chair?
Decide how you will be using the commode chair. Is it for bedside use to reduce or eliminate trips to and from the bathroom? Do you need a taller seat to make it easier to get up from the toilet? Will it be used for transportation to and from the bathroom?
Once you determine how the commode chair will be used, you can decide what type of model and features you need.
Examples of Commode Chair Features:
- Wheels or no wheels
- Plastic or padded covering (padded is more comfortable, but plastic is easier to clean)
- Frame materials and durability (stainless steel lasts longer)
- Fold-down or removable arms
- Swing away, removable footrests
- Back support
- Adjustable height
- Weight capacity
Our Badge
