The older you get, the worse a fall can be on your body. According to the Centers for Disease Control, falls are the leading cause of accidental death among seniors and a frequent cause of nursing home admissions. When an older person falls, they are prone to broken and fractured hips along with other bones which become much more brittle with age. Older people often have osteoporosis and other bone-degenerating conditions which affect the ability of the body to heal properly. A bad fall can have devastating consequences, like putting the person permanently in a wheelchair or long-term brain injury or death.
The area where the majority of the falls occur are is in the washroom, mainly in the bathtub because the bottom of the tub gets slippery when wet. If it’s possible, replacing the bathtub with an accessible bathtub for the elderly would be the best solution to eliminate falls. There are many accessible bathtubs available from walk-in to safer and more accessible slide-in models. You should also consider adding grab bars and non-slip surfaces to the bathroom.
The bathroom is one of the most important areas to renovate in the home to prevent life-changing accidents. Falls are a very big deal for an elderly person with brittle bones; it is well worth it to take every available precaution to avoid them. Don’t wait until it is too late to take action.