Special Needs

Seniors

Seniors are changing the way they address living independently and the way they are choosing to live as they age.  Disability in bathing is very common and involves an essential activity of daily living.   Many home owners are now finding ways to accommodate aging in place by remodeling their bathrooms!   These new bathrooms are designed with the retiree in mind featuring walk-in showers, grab bars, handheld shower-heads, stationary/mobile shower seats, accessible lavatory bowls, and comfort height toilets.    These features can be both beautiful and functional!

Many apparently healthy seniors are unable to bathe without help and some are not able to bathe as often as they would like using their existing bathrooms.  We have met several elderly customers who became stuck in the tub.  This was mostly due to the seniors having difficulty getting up out of the tub after completing their bathing; some had slipped and fallen.   All of the people we have helped had changed their bathing activities since the event.   A few had even abandoned taking a bath and were using a sponge wash, some only bathed with the help of a relative.   All of these people were restored to independence with a standard shower or a custom Bath Fixer barrier free unit.

  • About one third of the elder population over the age of 65 falls each year and the risk of falls increases proportionately with age.  At 80 years, over half of seniors fall annually.
  • About half (53%) of the older adults who are discharged for fall-related hip fractures will experience another fall within six months.
  • Falls are the leading cause of death due to injury among the elderly and 87% of all fractures in the elderly are due to falls.
  • Falls account of 25% of all hospital admissions and 40% of all nursing home admissions and 40% of those admitted do not return to independent living; 25% die within a year.
  • 55% of all falls take place inside the home.
  • There are nearly 200,000 bathroom accidents per year.   That’s 70 percent of all home accidents, according to research from home care products company Aurora in North Ridgeville, Ohio.

SAFTEY CHECKLIST

1. The bath or shower has non-skid mat, strips or other non-skid application on the standing area.
2. The towel bars and soap dish in the shower stall and bath are made of durable materials and are firmly anchored.
3. Bathroom has even lighting without glare.
4. The light switch is located near the door of the bathroom.
5. The bathroom door opens outward.
6. The bathroom has a safe supplemental heat source and ventilation system.
7. The outlets are ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) that protect against electric shock in the bathroom
8. Grab bars are installed on the walls of the bathroom  or the tub and the toilet

Keep your home the place of belonging, comfort, security and everyday living especially your bathroom.  Make safety a number one priority.  A little bit of time spent installing safety precautions in your bath can ensure years of accident free living.

Handicapped Children & Adults

The bathroom is probably the most accident-prone area in the home and this is where people spend so much time.  Ensuring bathroom safety is very prudent.  Slips and falls inside the bathroom can result in serious injuries, if not death.   In addition to this the possibility of drowning and electrocution is also high.  For families with children, bathroom safety is very important.  Your bathroom actually contains many hazardous objects which little tykes might be attracted to.

According to the United Sates National Health Statistics, there are actually over 200,000 bathroom safety-related accidents every year.   This means that about 70 percent of the total American homes experience some sort of accident inside the bathroom.   With numbers this high you should be very vigilant and cautious when it comes to bathroom safety.   Sometimes people believe that keeping the bathroom floor dry is enough to constitute safety.   Think again, there are actually a lot you can do to enhance bathroom safety.

A conventional bath or shower is a barrier for many individuals.   The step in height of these products can be as much as 23”.  Providing a bath bench or grab bar on the wall does not eliminate this barrier.   To adequately provide for individuals with mobility related difficulties we must remove the barrier impeding one’s ability to perform safe bathing.

Bath aids for the disabled are fine as long as they are used in conjunction with barrier free products.  Bath Fixer’s custom barrier free shower systems are designed to address the barrier itself.   We remove the existing bathtubs or showers completely from the bathroom and install a system that will no longer be a barrier.  Barrier elimination will contribute greatly to safety and security of individuals with unique and varying bathing needs.  With a Bath Fixer barrier free system there is effortless transfer in and out of the shower, there is safe and easy access to controls and protection against scalding and burns.  With the addition of a stationary or portable seat, a hand held shower head and grab bars a safe and accessible bathing experience is possible.