Is It Time To Install Handrails In The Bathroom?

Has your parent become a little wobbly on their feet?  Do they have a little trouble getting around on their own without the help of a cane or walker?  Then it's probably time to consider installing some handrails in their bathrooms for safety.  

Handrails for the bathroom are essential to prevent falls.  Balance is an issue for many aging parents for a variety of reasons so installing handrails in the bathroom should be done before anyone falls.  Remember, it's wet and slippery in the bathroom and it's easy to fall even if you don't have balance issues. 

Take a look at the bathroom set up and see where handrails would be helpful, I like to put handrails around the toilet also, to help with getting up.  Handrails help to keep your parent independent for as long as possible, giving them the ability to use the bathroom on their own without assistance is important.      

You'll want to use sturdy handrails, I like the strong stainless steel grab bars, that can hold all your weight because that's what it will be receiving once your parent starts to use it and you don't want the handrail that you installed for safety to come loose.  Be sure that whoever installs your bars knows that it will be used to support the entire weight of your parent and you don't want it ripping out of the wall.  You'll want to be sure that the handrail is anchored to the studs so it's solid.   Your parent needs to be able to trust that the handrail will be there when they need it and that it won't fail and cause them to fall.

A physical therapist or occupational therapist can assist you in deciding where to place each handrail.

A bathroom redesign is sometimes necessary if a parent becomes disabled and wants to remain in the home.  Getting in and out of a bathtub is very dangerous when you're wet and slippery so I prefer to get rid of the bathtub and put in a large enough shower for two people, you see if your parent needs help bathing then you need enough room in the shower stall for a shower chair and an aide.  You may have the space and prefer a built-in bench seat in the shower, that's fine as long as you make sure a shower chair will still fit into the shower stall and allow enough room for an aide to get around.  This way if your parent can no longer transfer to the built-in bench they can still be wheeled into the shower in a shower chair for bathing. 

Install a shower head that can be used as a personal shower, this way an aide can easily wash your parent safely without getting wet themselves.  Another thing to take a look at in the shower is access.  Can you get a wheelchair into the shower?  If the room is large enough you can have the shower stall built with a slight ramp that allows a wheelchair to be rolled in and still keeps the water from flowing out onto the floor.  I recently saw a great product used for just that reason, it's called a "collapsible dam" and what it does is it keeps the water from flowing out of the shower but will collapse to allow a wheelchair to roll over it. 

A Flip Up grab bar should be installed next to the toilet to aid in standing and if possible change the toilet to a higher toilet, you won't believe how much easier it is for a parent with balance and arm strength issues to get up from a higher bowl.  

I believe that we need to do everything we can to keep our aging parents independent for as long as possible and safe, so installing safety handrails in the bathroom should be done at the first signs of balance issues.