Elder Care Safety in the Bathroom
Elder Care in Calabassas CA
If you have been on an elder care journey with your aging parent for any length of time, you are likely already aware that the bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in the house. This is 
where the vast majority of falls happen, but it can also be the location of other potentially catastrophic injuries and accidents. Looking beyond slipping and understanding these risks and taking steps to resolve or minimize them can help to keep your loved one safer, healthier, and more independent throughout her aging years.
Some of the safety issues in the bathroom and ways that you and your parent’s elderly health care services provider can address them include:
- Burn hazards. Hot water can scald your parent in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this is a very common injury among elderly adults. A senior may not pay attention to the temperature of the water before putting her hands in to wash them or before stepping into the bath or shower. If she is suffering from cognitive limitations, she may not remember which faucet controls which temperature of water and turn on the hot water without realizing it. Seniors with cognitive limitations may also no longer properly interpret pain sensations. This means that she may put her hands into or step into scalding hot water and not realize what is happening. Just because she does not feel or register the pain, however, does not mean that it is not causing damage. A scald can cause extensive skin damage, make the body vulnerable to serious infection, and even be life-threatening if it covers a large enough portion of the body. Try labeling the faucets to indicate which is the hot water. Use a hot water indicator that you can place in the tub to show when the water is too hot. Test any water that your parent is going to use by placing it on the inside of your wrist and do not let her use it if the water causes any type of stinging sensation.
- Balance hazards. Slipping is not the only source of potential falls in the bathroom. If your parent suffers from balance issues, there are many possible dangers in this room. Make sure that the toilet paper is kept close enough to the toilet that your loved one does not have to lean far in order to get it, which can cause her to fall off balance and tip over. Consider adapting her toilet to an ADA compliant version that has a higher seat. This minimizes the space that your parent must cover when sitting down or standing up.
- Electrical hazards. Many people use electrical appliances in the bathroom. Whether it is a hair dryer or an electric razor, it is important to remember that this device uses electricity. Combined with water, this can be a very dangerous situation. Make sure that your parent is properly supervised when using any form of device that uses electricity and that she never plugs or unplugs the appliance with wet hands. If she happens to drop an electrical appliance into water, make sure that she does not try to reach in for it. Instead, someone should unplug it, wait for a few moments, and then pull it out by the cord and immediately dispose of it.