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Taking a tumble is no laughing matter for elderly folk. They can suffer head injuries or fractures that may confine them to a wheelchair. Falls in the bathroom are quite common, said Ms Shirleen Sim , an occupational therapist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital . While there are no official figures, she estimates that at least a third of elderly rehabilitation patients in the hospital have fallen in the bathroom. She points out the hot spots, and what can be done to guard against falls. SLIPPERY SURFACES The floor can get slippery from soapy water, so if an elderly person does not feel steady on his feet, he should sit on a chair while showering. Try not to let him sit on the covered lid of the toilet seat as the smooth surface can easily get slippery and cause him to slide off. Installing a vertical grab bar in the shower cubicle may be helpful, allowing him to hold on to it when he stands up to wash. One can also place non-slip mats in the wet areas of the bathroom. But lay them out proper...

Many baby boomers are now facing decisions about the best way to care for aging parents. While most elderly people wish to stay in their homes, this possibility must be weighed against any safety issues involved . One of the most dangerous rooms in the home is the bathroom, where the majority of slips and falls occur. When an aging parent begins to show signs of needing help when sitting and rising, or if they have been diagnosed with balancing problems, it may be time to consider renovating the bathroom to make it safer for them. Issues That Need to be Addressed It is necessary to look at the current bathroom through the eyes of someone who may have joint stiffness, visual perception issues , muscle weakness, and unsteady balance. It is also wise to think ahead to a time when a wheelchair or walker might be needed. The following checklist provides a list of problem areas to be reviewed: • Is the bathroom equipped with a walk-in tub or shower? • Are there sturdy handrails beside the c...

senior friendly bathrooms " /> Image Credit : zanita.info Commonplace, daily routines are so easy we don’t even need to think about them. But as our bodies age, that simple step into the shower, or the few minutes it takes to stand at the sink and brush our teeth, become routines that take extended effort. Complications arise for the elderly as balance and mobility become more and more difficult. Suddenly, the bathroom can be a dangerous place where a shower threshold can cause a painful fall or a difficult faucet can lead to scalding. The bathroom can even become an unwelcome space if walkers or wheelchairs have no room to enter. That’s why safe designs for the senior friendly bathrooms are so important. Zero-threshold showers and walk-in bathtubs provide security , safety, and even style when done right. TIP: Use our Real- Time Bathroom Remodeling Calculator and Find Out in Minutes How Much Your Remodel Will Cost.  Zero-Threshold Showers You may step over the 6-inch thresh...

The gentleman on the other end of the line was sobbing. A moment ago, he had been yelling at me, but when that didn’t work, he turned to an emotional plea. He told me about his wife and children that he needed to support, his mortgage, his car payment, his utilities. He probably would have tried bargaining, but we both knew that would go nowhere. This conversation was about one thing: ending his unemployment benefits. I wish I could say I was moved. But I was two hours into my shift, and he was already the second sobbing person I had talked to. I knew there would be many more before my day ended. It was December 2010 and I was working as an operator at the Pennsylvania Office of Unemployment Compensation. It was a rough month. Many people were ending their run on unemployment compensation after collecting for nearly two years. It wasn’t because they had jobs. It was because the special period of extended benefits that allowed people to stay on the program ended every December. None of...

PRO2 Medical Equipment is helping the elderly to stay in their own home and avoid moving into a care home with their new Bath and Shower Safety Products Each year millions of senior people struggle to live in their own home, and with the rising cost of assisted living accommodation , and skilled nursing home facilities , many loved ones are unable to pay for their mom or dad to receive the care they need. To help make it easier for families to look after their parents, PRO2 Medical has launched a range of Bath and Shower Safety products .   The PRO2 Medical Bath and Safety products (pro2medical.com/collections/bath-shower) help make the bathroom a safer and accessible environment. With the range of products available, those that look after their parent or parents will find it much easier to deal with their bathing or toilet needs. A spokesman for PRO2 Medical Equipment said: “We have a lot of different products available, all with affordable prices. These products can help senior ...

DUBLIN--( BUSINESS WIRE )--The "Disabled & Elderly Assistive Technologies Market by Product, Assistive Furniture , Bathroom Safety & Assistive Products and Communication Aids and End User - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering. The global disabled & elderly assistive technologies market was valued at $22,466 million in 2016, and is anticipated to reach at $37,610 million by 2023, registering a CAGR of 7.8% from 2017 to 2023. The disabled & elderly assistive technologies constitute rehabilitative devices that provide additional accessibility to individuals with cognitive difficulties, impairments, and disabilities. These assistive technologies help disabled & geriatric patients to improve quality of life, health outcomes, offer solutions for independent living, and reduce healthcare costs . The global disabled & elderly assistive technologies market is dri...

Bathrooms can be very dangerous, both to the disabled and the elderly. The smooth surfaces , awkward movements, and generally solitary usage of the bathroom makes it one of the most common areas for accidental falls and injuries to occur, both for the elderly and the disabled. However, given the prevalence of falls and injuries in bathrooms, there are many useful products on the market that can help prevent falls, and allow greater autonomy. Let’s take a look at 5 of the best ways to outfit bathrooms to help your loved ones avoid falls and other dangerous situations, and give you greater peace of mind. Grab Bars Grab bars are perhaps the single most important addition you can make to a bathroom to help your loved ones avoid falls and injuries. These simple devices are generally made out of a durable plastic or a high- quality stainless steel , and can be applied to walls in the shower, bath, or next to toilets to allow for increased grip and stability during awkward movements, such a...

Local governments and Univeristy project to make the region smarter The Illawarra Pilot Joint Organisation, comprising Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven Councils and the University of Wollongong’s SMART Infrastructure Facility has applied for $3 million in Federal funding for the Smart Illawarra and Shoalhaven project . The project will link Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven as smart cities, becoming one large regional Digital Living Lab , coordinated by SMART at the University of Wollongong. The aim – according to grant co- ordinator Mike Dowd – is to connect the entire region, with the backing of local businesses and communities to create smart, interconnected solutions in order to improve our daily lives. The lead project will be a smart parking initiative to install intelligent electronic signs at the gateways to Wollongong CBD, telling motorists about the availability of free spaces in public and private car parking stations . “You will be able...

Uppie Makes Washroom Trips More Accessible for the Elderly 'Uppie' is an elderly- assisting bathroom accessory that's ensuring everyone can maintain their safety while doing something as routine as using the washroom. After recognizing the loss of independence that can occur with age, Uppie was created to assist the elderly to maintain as much of their agency as possible, regardless of their physical limitations. The thoughtful product features a mechanism that fits over any traditional toilet bowl . Complete with state of the art technology, this adjustable mechanical frame twists and bends, allowing people with mobility issues to stand up and sit down with greater ease. This domestic mobility assistant provides the unique help elderly adults may require while allowing the user to maintain their independence. Smart home products like 'Uppie' offer convenience and assurance in the form of tech-infused items.

FAIRBANKS — Many older people want to stay in the house they built or raised their kids in as long as they can. Yet, in Alaska it can be difficult to find housing stocked with the types of modifications needed for elders, such as wide doors and hallways, low doorway thresholds , deep stair treads and ramps for walkers or wheelchairs. In the past, many older Alaskans would move to the Lower 48 after retiring to find more accessible homes and communities. The Alaska Commission on Aging said that Alaska has one of the fastest growing populations of seniors in the country and more of them are now wanting to stay in the state. Older Alaskans need to know what to do in the event of a natural disaster. Hong Kong recently surveyed elderly residents to see how prepared they were. According to a 2012 study in “Geriatrics and Gerontology International,” less than a quarter of elderly people in Hong Kong were prepared to deal with a natural disaster, even though almost nine...

MILAN – Italian firefighters working through the night, sometimes digging by hand, freed a 7-month-old baby Tuesday and then his two older brothers from the rubble of their home that collapsed when a 4.0- magnitude quake struck the resort island of Ischia during the height of tourist season. At least two people were killed in the quake that struck just before 9 p.m. (3 p.m. EDT) Monday, while another 39 were injured and some 2,600 were left homeless. The victims were an elderly woman who struck by masonry that fell from a church, and a second woman who was inside a building that collapsed. Eleven-year-old Ciro is carried on a stretcher after being rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Casamicciola, Italy, a day after a 4.0- magnitude quake hit the Italian resort island , on Tuesday. ANSA via Associated Press In the hard-hit town of Casamicciola, dozens of firefighters worked for 14 hours to dig the Toscano brothers out of their home, where they were trapped alone after ...

A perfect senior accommodation is above all practical. However, be that it is an adapted family home or a room in a retirement home, it can appear somewhat too practical. In order to avoid their living space looking like a hospital facility, you need to employ your creativity and invest in decor. As with everything else, you can splurge or you can have everything done DIY but you need to do something and that something is easily doable. I do not think there is a single elderly person who appreciates Ikea minimalism , so let’s see how you can help them retain the style. Work on the curb appeal A front porch is a place where people like to spend their time. Apart from that, it is the first thing one notices when approaching a house. A senior’s home should almost always be equipped with a ramp and handrails for the stairs (and the ramp). You can make the path leading to the entrance gradually turn into a ramp, that way you will not have a steep slope and it will seem more natural. As...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - When aging parents can no longer care for themselves, having a conversation with them about their future is never easy. Fortunately, there are people who have made it their life's mission to help you figure out what your loved ones can afford when it comes to their long-term care, and where they should spend their golden years. When my dad turned 92 years old in August 2016, his suddenly failing health was a rude punch of reality. Up until then, I had seen him as the strong, quick- witted police officer everyone in Trenton, New Jersey, knew. But suddenly it was up to my sister and me to be his caregivers. We did our best until he passed away in January, but the crash course we received in elder care was eye-opening. Senior living arrangements Once adult children get a handle on their parents’ finances, it’s time to figure out what type of care they can afford. My father soon needed more help than a home health aide could provide, and rushing to find the ri...