Preparing Your Bathroom For Your Aging Parent

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If you've recently moved your elderly parent into your home so you can car for them, you might already realize there are some changes that have to be made to the house, particularly in the bathroom. Decreasing mobility, side effects of different medications, and physical pain can all affect the ability of your parent to move safely inside your bathroom. That's why it's important to take the following actions to make your bathroom a more comfortable place.

Lift the Toilet

With a removable elevation seat, you can ensure that your parent doesn't have to bend their knees as much to sit as others do when they need to use the toilet. As a result, they won't have to move as much to get up. You might also put up grab bars to make toileting an even easier experience.

Replace the Flooring

If your bathroom is like many people's, the floor is hard and has ceramic tile or vinyl sheeting. These materials may work in wet environments, but they can cause a lot of pain for your parent if they slip and fall. You may not know this, but there are bathroom flooring tiles that are slip and skid resistant so that your parent can have surer footing. Using tiles can help you worry less that they will fall.

Put in a Walk-In Tub

If your parent has some trouble walking, it might be a good idea to think about purchasing a walk-in tub for them to bathe in. They won't have to lift their legs and feet very high to enter or exit as they do with traditional tubs. A walk-in could help them avoid a fall on slippery surfaces. This need not be a major undertaking; in some cases, the walk-in can be fitted on top of the tub that is already there.

When shopping for walk-in tubs, pay close attention to the features that they offer that can help your parent to be comfortable. For example, it's smart to consider a tub that has a pump to help with drainage. That's because your parent will have to wait until the tub is completely empty before they can open the door and exit; while that's happening, they can get very cold. A drainage pump can get the water out quicker so they can get warm sooner. In addition, if your parent has joint or muscle pain, it might be soothing for them to have a tub with whirlpool jets. Does your parent have a wheelchair? Select a walk-in tub with door which opens outwards so they can get in more easily.

Now that you've got some bathroom ideas that will help you make things more manageable for your parent, you can get to work on making those ideas a reality. Ask your parent's doctor for more advice about how to keep the room safe.

For more information, contact Twin City Stair Lifts or a similar company.


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