Why should you consider making elderly-friendly improvements to your loved one’s bathroom? According to New Zealand Health Navigator, falling is the most common cause of death for people aged over 75. We know too that one of the most common places for a fall at home is in the bathroom. So, what can you do about this? Give yourself peace of mind when it comes to helping your elderly loved ones feel safe and comfortable in their home by upgrading fixtures and fittings to those designed with the elderly in mind. Here are four simple examples of how you can do this:
Elderly Friendly Toilets
Many elderly-related bathroom falls occur when getting up from toilet seats that are too low for an older person. By installing comfort height toilets, like those found in Caroma’s Independent Living portfolio, guests with restricted movement needn’t worry about risking their lives just to use the bathroom. Additionally, these toilets can be upgraded by adding armrests with an integrated nurse call button for ease of access. Caroma’s other designs consider the height, not only of one’s toilet seat, but of other surfaces in the bathroom as well. While upgrading your loved one’s toilet to a more elderly-friendly model, you may need to consider a few plumbing issues. Fear not, we’ve written a helpful blog to guide you in the process. Read it here and contact us if you have any more questions regarding your toilet upgrade or replacement.
Grab Rails
For those who need some extra help moving around the bathroom, there’s an easy solution. Both towel and shower rails can provide the dual function of serving as grab rails as well. This can be achieved simply by changing the rail rods to a more grip-friendly material and, in some cases, adding extra wall attachments for support.
Thoughtful Tapware
Many people have mistakenly turned their bathroom tap to hot instead of cold for lack of clear temperature markings. For people with more sensitive skin, impaired sight, or a condition such as dementia, this can become a serious obstacle. Why not consider upgrading your elderly family’s tapware to feature larger, easy-to-recognise temperature indicators? As a further safety measure, you could install anti-scald features to prevent more vulnerable users from suffering burns. Perhaps your concern is that your elderly parents have restricted use of their hands and cannot comfortably grip the tap.
Caroma has a Dementia Friendly Tapware range that accounts for these and other living needs. These elderly-friendly designs make the whole bathroom process that much smoother and safer.
Elderly Friendly Showers
As mentioned above, doubling up shower rails as grab rails is an easy upgrade for your aging parents’ bathroom. Another could be adding a seating surface to lower the risk of falling in the shower. If your budget is a little higher and you’re especially concerned about your loved ones tripping in their bathroom, consider replacing you’re their shower with a level entry design. This is a much bigger time and financial commitment, but it’s the ultimate option when it comes to lowering shower-related risk. If you’d like to discuss your shower renovation options, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
After making these changes to your loved one’s bathroom, both you and the elderly in your life will have peace of mind knowing that their bathroom is a safe and comfortable place for all.
Contact us today to discuss your options for repairing, upgrading or replacing your bathroom plumbing. Call Colette on 027 265 4949 or email her at admin@flowfix.co.nz.