It’s Time To Take Bath Time Seriously

Don’t you just love taking a long, luxurious warm bath or shower? For most of us, this is a treat that we thoroughly enjoy. Of course, bathing or showering is important for good hygiene as well. But possibly as we get older, the bathtub can sometimes be a place we don’t really look forward to visiting because the thought of slipping and falling is a scary one. It’s always a good idea to exercise caution when getting in and out of the bathtub, but we’ve also put together this list of things you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe when taking a bath or shower.

Safety starts outside the bathtub.

One of leading causes of bathroom falls are the throw rugs we tend to put down for decoration or so we don’t have to walk on a cold floor during the colder weather. Either way, losing those rugs can help reduce the risk of slipping and falling before you even get into the tub. If you insist on having rugs, be sure they have the non-skid backing to them or secure them to the floor with double-sided rug tape. This is especially true for the bath mat you step on as you get out of the tub.

Keep from slipping up.

Bathtubs are slippery. It’s a fact. But you can do a few things to make them less so and hopefully prevent a slip or fall. First, make sure to keep it as clean as possible. When soap starts building up it can make the surface even more slippery than usual. You can also add the non-slip strips or full suction cup mats to the base of your tub to help reduce the risk of falling. Also, it’s a good idea to keep the bathroom floor as dry as possible – this will greatly help to prevent slips.

Balance is key.

If you or your loved one does not have good balance, this can be a precarious situation when combined with a wet bathtub. But there are a couple of things that you can do to help. You can have grab bars and/or rails installed in the tub to offer balance when sitting or standing – or even getting in and out of the tub. Another option is to have a bath/shower chair in the tub. This way you or your loved one has the opportunity to be sitting while showering nor do they have to pull themselves all the way up from sitting down in the tub for a bath.

Taking a bath or shower isn’t always as luxurious as it once was, but with a few small adjustments, it can certainly be a safe place for you or your loved one. We hope you find these suggestions helpful!

Source: Home Health Care Connection