Written by Hulet Smith, OT
Falls are the most common causes of injuries to senior citizens. One in five falls causes serious physical damage, including broken bones and head injuries. Even if uninjured, suffering a fall naturally makes a person afraid of it happening again. To avoid that possibility, it’s common for people to become less active in a bid to be safer, but with less activity comes muscle weakness and more balance issues, which in turn actually increases the risk of a fall.
The risk factors people bring with them into the bathroom include lower body weakness, mobility and balance deficiencies, effects of medications, vision problems, and pain. The bathroom environment adds another layer of risk with hazards that can include uneven flooring or steps, rugs or clutter that can be tripped over, slippery floors, and hard surfaces. Most bathroom falls are caused by a combination of these risk factors, and some of the risks can be mitigated by the equipment on our list of Top 5 Best Bathroom Safety Products for Seniors.
 | 1) Gateway Premium Sliding Tub Transfer Bench with Padded Swivel Seat by Platinum Health View Product |
Entering the list at number 5 is the Buddy Bar Standing Assistance Aid by Buddy Bars. One of the most attractive elements of aging in place is maintaining independence, and that is only possible when it’s safe to do so. This mobility aid provides a stable grip to help you get up from a commode or wheelchair and into a standing position. The support provided for the transition from sitting to standing helps prevent falls.
Using the Buddy Bar Standing Assistance Aid uses multiple muscle groups, so it can help you build and maintain upper body strength. By engaging larger muscle groups, the strain on your arms and shoulders is reduced. By grabbing the handles, rocking forward, and pulling down in one continuous movement, you can easily get to a standing position without much effort or impact. An added benefit is that the more time you spend on your feet, the better your balance will be, so getting yourself up and out of a seated position contributes to better balance, which aids in fall prevention.
Using this mobility aid also means you can attend to your personal toileting needs without caregiver assistance. This device is easy to securely attach to a commode. When it’s not being used, it can be flipped down and out of the way. Made of steel, its durability will make it a valuable tool for maintaining privacy and independence as well as bathroom safety for seniors long into the future.
The Buddy Bar made our list because it is a well-designed uncomplicated piece of equipment that makes the bathroom safer for senior citizens. This bathroom safety solution greatly contributes to a user’s quality of life through facilitating daily toileting activities safely, protecting privacy and independence, and helping building strength and improving balance. If you need assistance while rising to a standing position from the commode, you can count on the Buddy Bar to help you rise with confidence.
The number 4 safety product on our list is a vertical floor-to-ceiling support rail called the Sure Stand Security Poles and Attachments, made by Stander, Inc. It is tension mounted and easy to relocate. There are no tools, bolts, or screws required for installation, and it has skid-resistant protective pads to protect your floor and ceiling from any marks.
This unique pole has multiple hand grips for incrementally easing up or down, which adds to your stability and creates a safer environment. It fits 7- to 10-foot ceilings, but this system has many options, including an extension to accommodate ceilings up to 12 feet high. Other options include single and double grips, a trapeze grip, a horizontal grip, and even a small table that swings out from the pole.
The zinc-plated steel pole resists rust, especially helpful in the bathroom, and has a powder coat finish to ensure durability. This bathroom safety equipment will serve patients weighing up to 300 pounds for years to come.
The ease of use, portability, and quick installation provided by this portable pole are what landed it on our list. It is an attractive choice for anyone who doesn’t want to install equipment permanently affixed to walls, floors, or ceilings. Functionally, it ensures proper body mechanics are used, without twisting, to safely transfer positions. For such an easy-to-install piece of equipment with such a narrow profile, the Sure Stand Security Pole delivers a lot of options, each designed to fit your individual needs to keep you safe and maintain your independence in the bathroom.
The Clean Shield Elevated Toilet Seat by Bemis Independence made our list at number 3. The three inches in height it adds to any toilet makes it easier for seniors with diminished strength or balance to safely transfer on and off the toilet.
With its patented Snap 2 Secure installation, the hardware is installed with an installation head that snaps off when the clamping force is met. This action fastens the seat securely, and the seat won’t get loose or wiggle. The seat has self-sustaining hinges that keep the ring from slamming onto the toilet rim. It can accommodate up to 1000 pounds of weight, with round and oval versions available.
The comfortable seat has a reverse funnel design that ensures everything travels into the toilet bowl and stays there. It has a special shield to prevent users from coming into contact with any waste from the bowl. It’s made with polypropylene and stainless steel and it cleans easily with soap and water. If additional support is called for, optional support arms can be installed.
Three inches can mean the difference between a safe and a risky transfer. Lower toilets require more effort to go low to use them and get yourself up when you’re done. The additional height this seat adds makes it easier to get on and off the toilet for people who have trouble with diminished strength and balance. With this seat making it easier and safer to get on and off the toilet, a user can often forego the services of a caregiver and enjoy the dignity of a private bathroom experience. An added advantage to this device is the hygienic barrier that keeps the user from coming into contact with toilet waste, supporting a healthier and safer bathroom experience.
Number 2 on our list of bathroom safety equipment for the elderly is the Step 2 Tub Bathtub Safety Step with Rail from Step 2 Bed. This platform step, with a sturdy rail, clamps to the side of the tub, providing stability to get into and out of the bathtub without falling.
The non-slip step elevates you so you don’t have such a high tub wall to get over. This is especially helpful for people who have had a knee injury, hip injury, or who are unsteady on their feet. The handrail is height-adjustable and can accommodate users up to 300 pounds. When it’s not being used, this device can be quickly removed from its bracket and stored in the tub to allow for more floor space in the bathroom.
Easy to install, with no tools required to assemble it, it will work with most standard bathtubs. The Step 2 Tub Bathtub Safety Step with Rail stays in place with a dual clamp system and its steel frame is built to be durable and stand up to water. It promotes independence, making it possible for users to get themselves into and out of the bathtub without the need of a caregiver’s assistance.
This device made our list because of how much easier and safer it makes to navigate entry into the bathtub. It has been featured in an article on Best Bath Rails. This equipment won’t mark up your tub and the manufacturer backs it with 100-percent satisfaction-guaranteed, but the best part about it is the satisfaction of knowing you can safely get into and out of the bathtub on your own.
The many safety features of the Gateway Sliding Tub Transfer Bench with Swivel Seat by Platinum Health make it our number 1 pick for a bathroom safety product for seniors. It has locking slide and swivel options, a seat belt, rubber leg grips, and it’s brightly colored so it’s easily distinguishable, and it can accommodate users up to 330 pounds.
This bench can be assembled in 5 minutes and no tools are required. Its space-saving design includes adjustable legs so no matter what the size of your bathroom, it will be the perfect fit. It can face either side of the tub, and the swivel option doesn’t require much body strength to turn the seat. It will move easily when you want it to, but it has safety locks that hold it steady when you want it to stay put. The seatbelt keeps you from sliding if muscle tone and balance make it difficult for you to maintain an upright position.
It has soft and water-resistant cushioning for comfort and ease of sliding, which protects sensitive skin. The cushion and backrest are soft and they resist water and dry quickly. The rust-resistant medical-grade aluminum frame is lightweight but strong. This product’s surfaces are all easy to clean and stand up to strong disinfectants.
This transfer bench with its swivel seat landed at the top of our list because, since it does the transferring for you, you are much less likely to have a fall getting into and out of the tub - one of the most potentially dangerous maneuvers in a bathroom. Entering the tub comfortably and independently, bathing oneself while still seated in the same seat, then moving out of the tub using that same device neutralizes a significant risk of falling. It helps people stay in their homes longer and take care of their personal bathing needs without needing another’s assistance.
The best way to minimize falls in the bathroom is to make sure there is always something available to support the user. Transfers on and off the toilet, into and out of a wheelchair, and into and out of a shower or bathtub are perhaps the riskiest times in the bathroom for a senior citizen.
Grab bars are especially helpful for transfers. These bathroom safety solutions provide stability when a user’s balance and strength issues, combined with a room of slippery surfaces, greatly increase the fall risk. These helpful handholds can lessen fatigue for users who tire easily and need something for support during the transfer process. Grab bars can also be a great benefit to caregivers, bearing a patient’s weight and reducing the strain and injury risk for a care provider.
To make a toilet more accessible, toilet risers to enhance bathroom safety for the elderly save the expense and effort of replacing the toilet and add to the seat height so there is less of a vertical transition for getting on and off the toilet.
Secured to the side of a tub, safety rails are portable grab bars that help a user maintain balance while getting into and out of the bathtub. There are many designs available with different features, but they all provide a handle to grasp while safely stepping over the tub wall.
To use a bath transfer bench, the user sits on the end located outside the tub, moves down the bench, swinging the legs over the tub wall. After bathing, the motion is reversed, enhancing bathroom safety for seniors while allowing them to bathe privately and get into and out of the tub without caregiver assistance.
The top choices for bathroom safety equipment should include grab bars and safety poles, bathing aids, and toilet risers are all valuable additions to the bathroom for those who want to remain at home and continue aging in place.
Bars that are permanently installed on walls are designed to connect to wall studs and bear a user’s weight. If you need grab bars anywhere other than the wall, or if you are a renter and are not allowed to drill into the wall studs for a permanent installation, weight-bearing tension rods temporarily mounted floor-to-ceiling without leaving any marks, are a perfect choice. The large handle makes it easy to use and its design makes it easy to move from another room or previous home.
Medicare often will not cover bathroom safety equipment. Remember though, if you have to direct pay, the return on the investment is worth it if it allows you to remain in your home, retain independence, and greatly reduce your risk of an injury that could seriously and permanently impact your quality of life.
These devices are designed to prevent bathroom falls and the injuries that often accompany them. They help senior citizens safely navigate around tubs, showers, toilets, and wet floors, allowing older people to maintain their privacy in the bathroom and independence in their home.
Although many falls happen in the bathroom, there are other places and activities that can increase the chance of a dangerous fall. If this is a concern for you or someone you care about and you’d like more information on decreasing fall risk, see the caregiver article Ultimate Guide to Fall Prevention.
Co-founder/CEO of Rehabmart, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, husband, and father. Passionate about connecting special needs kids with superb nutrition, sensory integration, and complementary health strategies. Excited about Rehabmart's mission to become the premier online educational platform which empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and interventions to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.
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