Typical apartments, condos and even family homes – to be quite frank – are not really designed with the needs of the elderly in mind. These days, many elderly actually live in apartments or homes that pose problems for them like inaccessible entryways or dangerous kitchens and baths. Good thing there are a number of things you can do to revamp your bathroom and make it safer for your elderly relatives. Another thing you can do is to install fixed and handheld shower heads that are also height adjustable; shower and bathtub grab bars and pull-down seats. You also need to make sure there is sufficient space for the elderly to maneuver around the sink, lowering the sink in the process. An important part of the plans is to take a look at the available space in the bathroom and modify it to create a space-efficient, safe bathroom for your elders.

If it is not possible to do a full renovation on your bathroom, you can still do modifications on your existing space to improve safety and security with devices that you can easily buy at medical supply stores. Opt for a folding shower door so you can have maximum space available going into and out of the shower stall, again easier for someone in a wheelchair to move around in. It is also important to invest in extra lighting for the bathroom especially helpful when the elderly will go to the bathroom at night. 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. Avoid these incidents by switching to a safer, more economical shower curtain.

Instead, use anti-slip mats by the shower entryway so they can avoid tracking water on the tiles and slipping or invest in a texture tile to avoid slick surfaces. Grab bars are available in a number of sizes that help you maximize the space in your bathroom. Shop for no-slip mats that you can put by the shower door or bathtub since these areas are often slippery. 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. These tips can help you guarantee that you are going to have a safe bathroom not just for your elders but for the rest of your family.