My parents have a tiled bathroom floor, which gets slippery when wet. I worry one of them is going to fall and hurt themselves. What’s the best way to reduce that probability? I’d really prefer to not have to replace the floor, but will if necessary.
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Non-skid rubber mats with plenty of grab bars well mounted in the right places and a soft toilet seat that’s at the right height for the user. Removing glass doors is a good idea, as well.
Throw rugs and area rugs cause the majority of slip and fall injuries in the home, so the mats have to be chosen carefully so they don’t do more harm than good.
The floor should never get wet – the only source of wetness is on your feet when you come out of the shower, and a bathmat (or even just a towel on the floor) will combat that. If the floor is wet at any other time and place, the source of the water should be addressed.
By the way, the shower curtain bar will not support enough weight to break a fall. If the bathroom users are at risk of falling when coming out of the shower, install some kind of a secure hand-hold for their safety.
I’m elderly and use a rubber-backed bath mat that is washed regularly. I also installed three heavy duty chrome grab bars in our ensuite bathroom. Make sure that the grab bars are strongly secured to wall studs so that they will hold at least 400 lbs. I doubt that your parents are that heavy but a fall and a sudden grab at a grab bar can be in excess of their body weight. A good suction-cupped bathtub mat is also a good idea
My sister and nephew are both extremely large and mobility-impaired. They have these grab bars in their bathroom and they will handle their weight (400+ lbs in the case of my nephew).
I was pleasantly surprised at how well these things work. I’m 230, and I can do a chin up on them with no slippage.
My supply ordering guy once got these on special…only they were marketed as sex in the shower aids! :eek: I gave them to my patients, but I took them out of the package first.