If you are living with an elderly relative, it can be difficult for this relative to move around their home considering their increasingly limited mobility. Apart from the kitchen, it is the bathroom that poses the biggest problem for the elderly because of its often slippery surfaces and other safety hazards. The biggest cause of injury and even death among the elderly are falls and even going to the bathroom or taking a bath can be dangerous for seniors because they are prone to losing their balance and are at risk of sustaining serious injuries in the bathroom. Among the first and the easiest modifications that you can do to your bathroom is to install a raised toilet seat. You also need to make sure there is sufficient space for the elderly to maneuver around the sink, lowering the sink in the process. You need to install elevated toilet seats that will help the elderly get up and down more comfortably and safely.

Regardless of your budget and needs, you can make safety improvements on your bathroom since safety needs would arise slowly and can be worked out as they come; there are others though, that would need a full bathroom modification from the beginning. You can also install a bench without a back inside the tub or shower so the elderly can sit comfortably while taking a shower or bathing. You also need to get rid of your glass shower doors and replace them with shower curtains instead. There are also people that install motion lighting that is helpful for the elderly using walkers so they wouldn’t have to use their hands to flick on switches when they go inside the bathroom. You have to understand that rugs in the bathroom and the elderly are not a good combination; the elderly can easily slip on them or get caught on the rug and lose their balance.

This is helpful if you have elderly relatives in the house who have a lot of difficulty sitting down and getting up from the toilet seat. Grab bars are available in a number of sizes that help you maximize the space in your bathroom. If your elders are on a wheelchair, you need to buy a wheelchair transfer seat that not only adds height, but allows you to easily move your elders from the wheelchair to the bathtub or toilet seat. There are also toilet seat risers that you can buy to add a few inches on the toile at help seniors sit down and get up from the toilet seat a lot easier. Toilet seat risers are easily available in medical supply stores or you can work with a team of medical professionals that can give helpful advice.