Bath Safety Tips for Seniors - Bath Safety Month

Do You Know the
Hidden Dangers
in Your Bathroom?

JANUARY IS NATIONAL
BATH SAFETY MONTH

Note: This list is for information only and not a substitute
for a consultation with a qualified professional.

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1 OUT OF 3 PEOPLE OVER
AGE 60 HAVE TROUBLE
GETTING IN OR OUT OF
THE BATHTUB OR SHOWER,
ACCORDING TO A UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN STUDY. TO HELP STEADY THEMSELVES, MANY OLDER ADULTS USE BATHROOM FEATURES LIKE
COUNTERS AND TOWEL BARS. BUT IMPROPER USE OF THESE ITEMS CAN CAUSE FALLS, A DANGER NEARLY ONE IN THREE SENIORS EXPERIENCES
EVERY YEAR. SOME OF THESE FALLS ARE MINOR, BUT MANY ARE SERIOUS, LEADING TO BROKEN BONES AND LONG-TERM MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

THERE ARE NEARLY

200,000
BATHROOM ACCIDENTS PER YEAR,
IN A STUDY OF PEOPLE AGE
72 AND OLDER, THE AVERAGE
HEALTH CARE COST OF A
FALL INJURY TOTALED

$19,440
MANY OF THEM PREVENTABLE.

WHICH INCLUDED HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, EMERGENCY ROOM AND
HOME HEALTH CARE, BUT NOT DOCTORS’ SERVICES, ACCORDING TO
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.

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IN 2010, ACCORDING TO
THE CDC, THE DIRECT
MEDICAL COSTS OF
FALLS, ADJUSTED FOR
INFLATION, WAS

$30,000,000,000
THAT’S THE SAME AMOUNT OF FEDERAL
RELIEF THAT NEW YORK GOVERNOR
CUOMO HAS REQUESTED FOR THE
DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE SANDY!

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Are you putting your health in
danger by using any of your
bathroom features unsafely? Find out
here...

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Towel Bars
TOWELS AREN’T BUILT TO SUPPORT MUCH MORE
THAN THE WEIGHT OF WELL, A TOWEL.

BUT 7O% OF OLDER ADULTS USE SHOWER FEATURES
LIKE TOWEL BARS TO HELP STEADY THEMSELVES WHEN
GETTING OUT OF THE SHOWER OR ONTO THE TOILET.

Instead, install grab bars designed to hold your weight.

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Sliding Glass Door
THREE-QUARTERS OF
OLDER ADULTS WHO USE
SHOWER STALLS HANG ON
TO THEIR SLIDING GLASS
DOORS FOR SUPPORT.

Use grab bars instead, or
switch to a shower curtain to
break yourself of this habit.

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Slippery Surfaces
If you feel unsteady in the
bathroom, have a professional
SLICK FLOORS install a tension pole between
AND COUNTERS the floor and ceiling to give
ARE FALL you something to hold on to.
HAZARDS.

Place non-stick mats on shower floors, as well as
on the floor in front of the tub or shower stall.

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Bathtub Sides

IF YOU HAVE A SHOWER TUB INSTEAD OF A WALK-IN
SHOWER, YOU HAVE TO STEP OVER THE TUB’S HIGH
SIDES EVERY TIME YOU GET IN, INCREASING THE
RISK THAT YOU’LL LOSE YOUR BALANCE.

Consider installing a transfer bench that allows you to get on the
seat from outside the tub, and then slide over safely into the tub.

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Poorly-Lit Pathway

WHEN YOU GET UP TO USE THE BATHROOM IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, IS YOUR PATHWAY
WELL-LIT, OR ARE YOU SHUFFLING TO FIND
YOUR WAY?

Install a nightlight (or a few) to illuminate your
way to the bathroom and reduce the risk of falls.

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Out-Of-Reach Items

ARE YOUR TOWELS, SOAP,
AND SHAMPOO WITHIN Make sure your
EASY REACH, OR DO YOU bathroom items
HAVE TO CONTORT are easily
YOURSELF TO GET THEM? accessible.

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Low Toilet Seat DO YOU FIND YOURSELF
PLOPPING DOWN ONTO
THE TOILET? IT MAY BE
TOO LOW FOR YOU.

Consider purchasing a raised toilet seat to
make using the facilities easier and safer.

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Thanks for viewing our presentation!

For more valuable home care information and resources
visit: GriswoldHomeCare.com/blog

© 2013 Griswold International, LLC
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Bath Safety Tips for Seniors - Bath Safety Month

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