One of the more dangerous areas in the home is the bathroom. Wet tile floors, soapy residue on a bathtub or shower floor, and the narrower space all raise safety issues. If your mom falls, there are too many hard surfaces that can lead to injuries. Your mom fell while getting out of her tub after showering. You want to keep that from happening again. Personal care at home aides could see to her safety when showing.
What should you do next?
Purchase a Shower Seat
As your mom gets older, it may be hard for her to do certain tasks while standing up for an extended amount of time. Invest in a shower seat that she can use when needed. If she needs to shave her legs, she can sit down and do it instead of bending over.
There are shower seats that can be removed from the tub as needed. Or, look into fold-down shower seats that are permanently affixed to the wall and lowered when your mom wants to sit down.
Install Grab Bars for Her Safety
Grab bars provide a level of safety as it gives her something to hold while stepping in and out of the tub. Grab bars should be installed vertically and horizontally inside and outside the tub. She also should have them near the toilet.
Make sure the grab bars are installed in the studs and not just the tub wall. If it’s not properly anchored, it could come loose and pull away from the wall during a fall and that isn’t helpful. If you’re not sure you can install them properly, hire a carpenter or bath installer with the experience to do the job correctly.
Purchase a Non-Slip Bath Mat
Get a bath mat that has rubberized feet for your mom to stand on in the tub. Even a textured tub floor can get slippery with soap and conditioner residue. If your mom has a non-slip bath mat, she’s less likely to slip while showering.
On the floor outside of her tub, a rubberized absorbent mat is essential for preventing falls. Tile floors can be dangerously slick when your feet are wet. A mat helps lower the risk of a slip-and-fall accident.
Hire Personal Care at Home Providers to Help Her Get In and Out of the Shower
Personal care at home services are ideal for fall prevention. Your mom can still wash and enjoy her privacy, but she has a caregiver ready to support her while she steps in and out of the tub and sits or rises from the shower seat.
Gather the family to get input and create a list of questions your mom and others have. Talk to our specialist in personal care at home to learn more about the prices, availability, and schedule that best suits your mom’s needs.