Bathrooms at home usually need adaptation if an elderly or disabled wants to stay in the house and remain independent. Ensuring bathroom access and safety may require room customizations.
Falls often happen as people get in or out of the bathtub. Non-slip suction mats or non-skid tub liners or stickers can help prevent falls and provide firm footing.
Grab bars around the tub are a must for safety. These bars should be institutional-grade and installed according to the manufacturer’s directions for firm and solid support. Using towel rods in place of them is strongly discouraged. Improperly installed bars, as well, will not support a person who loses balance.
Various types of bars and poles are available from plumbing supply companies. The type, number, and positioning of supports depend on:
- The wall space around the tub;
- The wall structure;
- The plumbing arrangements; and
- The disability of the person using the tub.
Two kinds of grab bars are often needed at the bathtub for the disabled or elderly:
1. For use in getting in and out of the tub from a standing position;
2. For use when lowering and raising the body to and from a seated position in the tub.
U-shaped bars are available in 12- to 40-inch lengths. They may be installed vertically or horizontally to a wall.
A vertically placed U-bar, attached to the side wall at the foot of the tub, allows safe entry and exit. Note that the foot of the tub is the end where the water faucets and drain are located. This vertical bar should be about 32 inches long, and placed near the edge of the outer tub.
Horizontally placed support bars are best for lowering and raising the body to and from a sitting position in the tub. A 12- to 15-inch bar may be placed at the foot end of the tub and a longer one along the back wall.
Diagonally placed grab bars are not recommended because the hand may slide; and if footing is not secure, falls are more likely to occur.
If the tub is free-standing at both ends, like in most older homes, and the end wall is too far for grab bars to be secured, a vertically placed pole on the access side of the tub may be used. This pole should be about 1.5 inches in diameter and extend from floor to ceiling. Place it between 1 foot 3 inches to 1 foot 6 inches from the end of the tub, close enough to the access side to reach from a sitting position. It also can be used to grasp with one hand while operating the water controls.
Angle bars from the back wall or behind the tub to the floor, with wall posts, may be used when one or both tub ends are enclosed by a wall. This is useful for persons needing to use both hands to enter and exit the tub.
A variety of portable seats, chairs, and benches are also available if sitting on the bathtub floor is difficult or impossible. One seat has side flanges that adjust to fit any bathtub. Inside-the-tub chairs with backs for greater comfort are also sold in the market today. An inside/outside transfer bench with adjustable legs allows the person to sit on the bench that extends outside the tub then slide to the inside of the tub.
Any chair or bench must have non-slip rubber tips and should be safe and comfortable. When using this type of seats in the tub, a hand-held shower head is preferable to use.
An angle bar attached to two walls provides support while standing, and also aids in sitting and rising from a bath bench or chair.
If the shower floor is slippery, non-slip suction mats or rubber silicone treads should also be used there.
A non-skid bath mat on the floor outside the shower is a necessity.
The standard 15- to 17-inch height of toilet seats creates a problem for many people, especially those with arthritis, hip, knee or back problems. Elevating the seat 5-7 inches more will give better leverage in regaining a standing position.
There are several types of removable and permanently fixed raised toilet seats available in stores. For a more permanent raised toilet, a plumber can put the stool on a wooden platform made to fit the toilet bowl base. If you are building a new bathroom, consider a wall-hung toilet that can be hung at any height.
A portable bidet for cleaning the perineal area without hands or paper may be attached to any standard toilet bowl. It is electrically powered with a mechanism for spray washing with warm water and drying with a flow of warm air. This promotes independence for persons with very limited hand/arm functions.
Grab bars around the toilets are a must. Many types are available, and the choice will depend on:
- Available wall space near the toilet;
- Nearness to other fixtures in the room; and
- Needs of people in the household.
If you have a physical limitation, we recommend you consult a physical therapist or a housing specialist to help you select and recommend placement of grab bars and other accessories for safety in the bathroom. If you are unsure of your wall structure, or do not have proper tools or skills, we suggest you hire a carpenter to install and/or make the new adaptations.
And for the latest bathroom and toilet aids for the disabled and the elderly, visit www.doability.co.uk.
January 10th, 2010 at 9:45 AM
[...] Bathroom Safety for the Disabled and the Elderly (Mobility … [...]
January 18th, 2010 at 1:25 PM
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January 20th, 2010 at 7:45 PM
Thank you for leaving your comments.
Let me know if we can be of any assistance.
Kind regards,
Clive
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I am very pleased you enjoyed it.
Thank you for your comments.
Kind regards,
Clive
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With many thanks,
Clive
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Kind regards,
Clive
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:10 AM
Thank you for your comments.
Please let me know if we can be of any assistance.
Kind regards,
Clive
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February 3rd, 2010 at 11:13 AM
Dear Mrs Agathe,
Thank you for your comments.
What post are you talking about?
Kind regards,
Clive
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I am very glad you liked it.
Kind regards,
Clive
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I am glad you liked it!
Thank you for your comment.
Kind regards,
Clive
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I am glad you liked it.
Let me know if we can help.
Ask for our trade prices if you are a plumber.
Kind regards,
Clive
February 26th, 2010 at 10:44 PM
I am glad you enjoyed it!
Welcome back anytime.
With many thanks,
Clive
February 26th, 2010 at 10:55 PM
Yes no problem.
What were you interested in?
Let me know if I can help.
Kind regards,
Clive
clive@doability.co.uk
February 26th, 2010 at 11:11 PM
Thank you for asking.
Yes we do have a twitter page called doability
and I have a facebook account. Just look up Clive Taylor and you should be able to find me.
Let me know if I can be of any assistance.
With many thanks,
Clive
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May 22nd, 2010 at 12:58 PM
Thanks, Ignacio..
Your comment is very much appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Thank you, Margit..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 22nd, 2010 at 1:01 PM
Thanks, Jarod..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:42 AM
Hi, Efrain..
You are welcome to use our posts in your blog as long as you provide a link back to our article. Thanks.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Hi, Abbie..
We wouldn’t mind you getting some information from our site as long as you provide a link back to us. Thanks.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:44 AM
Thank you, Chad..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:45 AM
Thank you, Donita..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:46 AM
Thanks, everyone, for all your wonderful feedback..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:53 AM
Hi, Hilario..
Well, in a way, this blog links to my business site where I offer various mobility equipment for the disabled and the elderly.
https://doability.co.uk/
As people become more aware of how it is to be disabled or old, and how they can take care of their loved ones who are disabled or have grown too old to take care of themselves, people will see the importance of providing their loved ones with something that can alleviate their suffering.. and that’s where my business comes in..
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:55 AM
Hi, Bret..
You can grab our feed and you will surely learn more from our future posts.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:57 AM
Hi, Phyliss..
Go ahead and share this information to others through your site, but, please don’t forget to provide a link back to us as the source. Thanks.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Hi, Bernarda..
Sure, we don’t mind you using some information from our site in your blog. Just please make sure to provide a link back to us as the source.
Kind Regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Glad you enjoyed it.
Kind regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:17 PM
Thank you for your comment and for adding us to your book mark.
With many thanks,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:25 PM
Dear Fanny Medieros,
I am glad you enjoyed the post.
Yes no problem to share but please just refrence us as your source and provide a link to where you got the information from.
Thank you and regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 PM
Thank you for your comment.
I will forward your message to someone who might know how to do this.
With kind regards,
Clive
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:37 PM
Thank you for adding us to your favorites!
I am really glad you enjoy the blog and like the layout.
With kind regards,
Clive
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May 25th, 2010 at 8:30 PM
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May 26th, 2010 at 10:37 PM
Thank you very much for the comment.
Happy windsurfing. It is great fun!
With kind regards,
Clive
May 27th, 2010 at 3:57 AM
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
May 28th, 2010 at 10:15 PM
How does this relate to one of the previous stories? Maybe I’m slow… because I could’ve been on a differnet website. lol Nevermind. At any rate, it was a solid post. Later
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May 31st, 2010 at 10:08 PM
I am really pleased you enjoy the posts!
With kind regards,
Clive
May 31st, 2010 at 10:11 PM
Thank you for your comment.
We will be posting more soon.
With kind regards,
Clive
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October 5th, 2010 at 6:36 AM
Hi, Peter..
Just try Googling for some free WordPress themes. There are actually a lot out there.. =)
..and thanks, Maurice, for the tips.. =)
November 8th, 2010 at 1:44 AM
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April 1st, 2011 at 12:09 AM
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!