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bathing safety devices ." title="Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images" /> Grab bars are bathing safety devices . One-piece tubs and shower enclosures consist of a single gel- coated fiberglass shell . Grab bar mounting brackets made specifically for fiberglass installation have discs that safely distribute the weight of a person and prevent the fiberglass from cracking. By attaching the brackets to wall studs with bolts, you ensure that the grab bar will not pull out from the tub or shower wall when in use. Grab bars can be purchased in sets of two, which allow you to install a vertical grab bar in a one-piece tub and shower for standing assistance and a horizontal grab bar to help people rise up or sit down in the bath tub. 1 Locate a stud on the shower wall near the shower head with a stud finder. Find the center of the stud 33 inches up from the floor and mark it with a long piece of low tack painter 's tape. This is where the vertical grab bar will be...

Older people need a bathroom that will suit their current and future needs. When designing a bathroom for an older person, safety and efficiency should be a primary consideration. As people age, mobility can become limited, and some seniors require the use of wheelchairs and walkers to move around. This requires that bathroom design incorporates maneuverable space , safety features such as grab bars, and organization that limits the need to move around the space when wet. Safety Considerations The bottom of an older person’s tub or shower and the floor of the bathroom should have a non-slip surface to prevent falls. Use non- slip bath mats for tubs and showers and use resilient or vinyl flooring instead of hard surface such as marble or ceramic tile for the main floor. Opt for fixtures, including vanities and counter tops, without sharp edges, so that the severity of injury is minimized in the event of a fall. Consider replacing towel rails with grab bars, which can serve both fun...

The following excerpt is taken from Chapter 7 of Life on Wheels: For the Active Wheelchair User , by Gary Karp, copyright 1999, published by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. To order, or get more information about Gary's book, call (800) 998-9938. Permission is granted to print and distribute this excerpt for noncommercial use as long as the above source is included. The information in this article is meant to educate and should not be used as an alternative for professional medical care . The bathroom is often the space that is the greatest challenge to make accessible. In a 1993 U.S. Census Bureau report , 4.5 million people with disabilities reported having difficulty bathing, and 2.1 million had trouble using the toilet. Millions of people are inconvenienced--even endangered--by inaccessible bathrooms. Any impediment to easy access to the bathroom can lead someone to delay their bowel or bladder program. A bathroom that is easy to use protects your health ( see Figure 1 (cli...

Before buying a walk in bath,  Windsor Baths advise that being happy with the purchase should be most important. Windsor Baths offer the advice points below to help in the decision making process : 1. It should be remembered that with a walk-in bath, the user will be locked in the bath until the water has drained. Ensure that the bath doesn't have a pop-up plug or the user may sit for up to 20 minutes while the water drains. Major world vendors of walk in baths use normal plugs as this is the quickest way to drain the bath. 2. As the bath locks in the user, fast fill taps are necessary. Fast fill taps deliver 30 to 40 litres a minute, standard taps deliver 5 to 15 litres a minute. Again, major vendors use these type of taps and are most commonly made in the UK or Australia. 3. If the walk in bath has a grab bar fitted to the body, ask for a certificate of compliance to Australian Standard AS1428 in writing. Windsor Baths don 't fit grab bars to the bath body, as the ...

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...

Bathrooms require special attention in order to meet the living needs of elderly adults who want to age in place. Everyday routines like bathing, washing up and brushing teeth can be challenging for some older adults in a standard bathroom . Luckily, there are a number of ways to make bathroom faucets more user-friendly for seniors with mobility issues. The design tips shown here should be part of an overall design philosophy for aging in place bathrooms that include appropriately placed grab bars, nonslip flooring and adequate lighting. 1. Handheld Showerheads Replace a wall-mounted showerhead with a handheld model. A  handheld showerhead attached to a pole allows elderly users to adjust the showerhead's height when standing or to use it as a handheld model when sitting or standing. Here are some other user-friendly changes that can help older adults: Combine the showerhead with built-in or portable shower chairs to make bathing more comfortable. Bathtubs and walk-in showers ...