Making bathrooms safe for seniors
More than one in three persons over age 65 fall each year, often at home. If falls do happen, luckily, most do not result in any injury with the exception of a minor bruise or scraped knee. But falling in the bathroom is an entirely different matter. According to a 2011 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 200,000 Americans are treated in emergency departments for bathroom- related injuries annually . Due to a multitude of reasons, bathrooms are very hazardous. Bathrooms have unforgiving and slippery surfaces , and few dependable things to grasp onto, which greatly increases the chances for harm. Fall- related injuries range from minor cuts, scrapes and bruises to more severe injuries, such as broken bones (especially hip fractures), head contusions, and even spinal cord injury . Are you or a loved one susceptible? Up to 80% of falls in the home are in the bathroom. Anyone can stumble and fall in the bathroom but having poor muscle strength and ba...