There are a number of things that the elderly find difficult to do including using the bathroom on their own. For the elderly, bathrooms are one of the biggest safety hazards. The chances of an older person slipping or falling in the bathroom due to tight-fitting spaces, loose rugs, and slippery floors are high. Also, as old age affects mobility, an elderly person might take several minutes if not hours to complete a task in the bathroom. Fortunately, elderly people can increase mobility and reduce the risk of fall or slip in the bathroom by using bathroom aids.
Today, a number of bathroom aids are available to make the lives of the elderly easy. Some of the bathroom aids for the elderly available today include toilet seat raisers, toilet seat with arms, toilet aids, shower stools, push-on tap showers, bottom wipers, brush for nails or dentures, and long handled sponge. The elderly require help in the bathroom for a number of things but the most common reason older people require assistance in the bathroom is bathing. The reasons the majority of the elderly require bathing assistance include:
- Mobility problems
- Alzheimer disease which causes the elderly to forget a number of things including bathing
- Arthritis
While the only solution for older people with Alzheimer is medical help, arthritis and mobility problem issues can be overcome with bathroom aids. For many people, giving seniors a bath is challenging. On the other hand, the task of bathing on their own can be extremely difficult and at times embarrassing for the elderly. Fortunately, bathroom aids can make things easy for the aforementioned people. Bathroom aids that can make bathing on their own easy or possible for the elderly include long handled bathing products and changing benches. Apart from long handled bathing products and changing benches for bathing, the elderly will find bathroom aids such as grab bars and railings around sinks, showers, bathtubs and toilets.
While bathroom aids are easily available and can help make bathroom usage easy for the elderly, it is always wise to find and buy from a reliable and reputed provider of bathroom aids. Also, whether you’re purchasing a bathroom aid for yourself or an elderly person you know, consider a few important things. The things you need to consider before buying or installing a bathroom aid include:
- Is the condition of the elderly person likely to deteriorate? If yes then how much use will you be able to get out of the bathroom aid you’re buying?
- Who will operate the bathroom aid: the elderly person, a carer or both?
- Does the bathroom aid come with technical support and guarantee
Purchase a bathroom aid only after you’ve considered the aforementioned things. Bathroom aids make the lives of the elderly or the people taking care of them easy so buying and using them is a sensible thing to do.
