Revisiting How To Keep Seniors Safe When It’s Shower Time

Showering should be a fun experience. Who doesn’t love the feeling of warm running water pouring over them as they cleanse themselves of the day’s dirt? Well, there are many people who’d raise their hands in opposition to the idea that shower time is fun.

For many senior citizens, the very thought of stepping into the shower is a scary one. The risk of slipping and falling is too much to bear. As a result, getting into the tub is often avoided. If you live in a home with an older adult, it’s important to find ways to keep him/her safe when it’s shower time.

Improve Your Muscle Strength

Water aerobics, chair yoga, resistance bands workouts, and Pilates are excellent exercises for seniors. They help to improve muscle strength which is essential in maintaining good balance and keeping one’s self upright. A little dumbbell strength training, bodyweight workouts, and walking are also wise routines. By improving your muscle strength, you’ll have a much easier time navigating your way through your bathroom and ensuring you don’t fall.

“Having poor muscle strength and balance is commonly associated with increased risk in the bathroom,” says Comfort Keepers, “Someone with a history of falls has an even greater risk. Most falls occur while stepping into and exiting the tub or shower; using towel bars, sink tops, or other objects for balance when walking; and sitting down and getting up from the toilet.”

Ensure the Bathwater is at A Comfortable Temperature

Maintaining a comfortable water temperature is a key ingredient to enjoying a safe shower. Not only are extreme temperatures damaging to the skin, they can be startling to older folks. The shock of being hit with water that is either too hot or too cold is enough to send a senior toppling over.

“Ideally, experts say that the ideal water temperature for bathing and showering should be only one or two degrees above the body temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit,” Caregiver-Aid informs us, “So a temperature range of 98 degrees to 100 degrees is best. There are dangers for the elderly when bathing in extremely hot or extremely cold water.”

Place Non-Slip Mats on the Floor

Both your bathroom floor and your bathtub surface are undoubtedly slick. Add the moisture that every bathroom regularly endures and you have yourself a recipe for slips and falls. With non-slip mats on the floor, you take away those slippery elements. Place one in the bathtub as well. Doing so will significantly minimize the risk of your elderly loved one slipping and falling in the shower.

“You can use any one of a variety of solutions to create non-slip surfaces including stickies designed for use over shower floors,” informs Scott Grant on GrayingWithGrace.com, “Other solutions you can consider include non-slip tiles and coatings.”

At Forward Day, we’re proud of the fact that our Shower Bay portable showers eliminate the dangers of the bathroom from the bathing equation. They can be snapped together in any room of the home where a faucet is nearby. If you have any questions about our Shower Bay portable showers, please don’t hesitate to contact us to ask them. Give us a call at 1-877-593-4461 or email us at info@showerbay.com.