Health & Comfort Bathroom safety

Health & Comfort > Keeping safe > Bathroom safety

The bathroom is, along with the kitchen, one of the most potentially hazardous areas of the home. Some commonsense precautions can make it a lot safer. If you don't find the answser to your question here - please send an email, and we will be pleased to help.

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General bathroom safety
Bath
Shower
Toilet

General bathroom safety

• Any uneven features on the floor can be a hazard - this includes loose mats which might cause a trip. To minimise risk, make sure there is a good colour contrast between the main floor covering and any mat, so that the edge is clearly visible.

• If the bathroom floor is at all slippery - ceramic tiles, for example - consider installing a waterproof, non-slip floor covering instead.

• Extra support around the room can make a lot of difference to safety and peace of mind. Grab rails near the bath and/or shower, basin and loo are useful. There are lots to choose from: bear in mind that a textured surface will be easier to grip, especially with wet hands, and a brightly coloured rail will be easier to see against a white background. Strong plastic rails are simpler to install than metal in the bathroom, as they won't require earth-bonding. Whatever type of rail you choose, make sure that they are properly fitted and that the wall is strong enough. A light partition wall may not give adequate support, even if proper fastenings are used to attach the rail. In this situation, it would be more prudent to attach a wooden backboard to the other side of the partition wall, then fix the grabrail to this, through the thickness of the wall. Alternatively, in some situations, a floor to ceiling pole could be used instead.

• If door handles are hard to operate, replace them with easier lever-type handles. Locks on bathroom doors are not a good idea. The door should open outwards, to give easier access to you if you have a fall and need help.

• Scalding is another risk in the bathroom. Mixer taps with an anti-scald safety cut-out are a good idea, as is a temperature indicator - visual and/or audible - for bath water.

• Any radiators or other heaters in the bathroom should have a surface that remains cool enough not to burn someone who falls or leans against them.

• Replace hard to manage tap handles with easier lever styles or even hands-free, infra-red controls. For tight budgets, there are lever adapters which fit most standard taps.

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A safer bath

For many of us, a soak in the bath is one of the best ways of relaxing and easing those aching muscles or joints - but getting in and out of the tub can become quite challenging. There are various options to help, for every budget and from hi-tech to very much low-tech!

• Simplest first. A bath board or seat that fits across the top of the bath enables you to sit as you swing your legs over the edge. It can be combined with a bath grip that fits on the rim of the tub for extra support.

• A non-slip mat in the bottom of the bath can improve confidence and safety. Combined with a grab rail by the side to give support as you lower and raise yourself, this may be sufficient for many people.

• A powered bath seat can take the struggle out of getting down into the bath - then back out again. There are many different types, including the sturdy fabric belt type that lowers you to the bottom of the tub; the giant inflatable plastic cushion that gently deflates to carry you down; and variously styled moulded and or padded plastic seats. There are some designs that will lift you over the edge of the bath itself, with a leg lift as well. Some models will lower you further than others - a point to check if you like a nice deep soak. If more than one person uses the bathroom, you may also want to consider the removeability of the seat, leaving the tub free and clear for more able bathers.

• The last option is to replace the tub with a specially adapted one with a door in the side that you can walk in and out of. These doors may be hinged to open inwards our outwards, or may raise themselves vertically. This used to be a very expensive option, but there are now a number of budget conscious models available. There are a few things to bear in mind when you make your choice. Are there any inside fastenings that you might hurt yourself on? Are there thermostatic taps? (you're going to be sitting in this bath as it fills - you don't want to be scalded). How quickly will it fill and empty? Remember that you won't be able to get out until the water has gone - if that takes too much time, you'll get cold and bored! Is it going to fit neatly in the space left by your previous bath?

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Safer showering

A shower can be faster, easier and more economical than a bath. Many of us already have one, instead of or as well as a bath. There are a number of features to look for to ensure safe showering.

• The shower tray should be as shallow as possible so that you can get in and out without having to negotiate a big step. A rough textured surface will make it less slippery.

• For anyone with more serious mobility problems, who perhaps needs to use the shower in a chair, then a tray which is flush with the floor, or has a very gently ramp up, would be suitable.

• Conventional shower doors can be replaced with half-height ones, if you need someone to help you with washing.

• A stool and grab rail will mean that you can shower sitting down - or just have somewhere to sit while you dry your feet! Definitely makes life easier and more secure. There are many different styles of seat, including ones that can be pushed up against the wall when not in use, and others that are completely portable.

• Make sure that the shower you choose is thermostatically controlled, so that you don't get scalded, and that the controls are easy to use, even with wet hands. You can now get programmable showers that remember the right temperature for you, and ones with visual and/or audible temperature indicators.

• If you are replacing a bath with a shower, there are many large tray and door combinations available to fit in the space left by the bath. It's always a good idea anyway to have a nice roomy shower enclosure if possible - makes it easier and therefore safer to move about.

• Alternatively, a wet floor shower area does away with the need for an enclosure at all - but it doesn't work for every bathroom, as it involves a new floor with a slope to the integral drainage, waterproof floor and wall coverings, and careful thought for the siting of other elements of the bathroom, since water will be distributed over quite a large area...

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A safer toilet

Whatever else happens, being able to use the loo privately and comfortably is a fundamental expectation. If arthritis or any other impairment is making this difficult for you, there are lots of ways to ease the situation.

• You can raise the height of the toilet very simply, by replacing the seat with a raised one, or (less simply) by adding a plinth beneath it. Some raised toilet seats also have integral arms, to help you push yourself up.

• A sturdy frame around the loo, or one or two grab rails adjacent can help with extra support as you get up and down. Hinged grab rails push up against the wall when you don't need them, so are less obstructive in small bathrooms.

• There are now special seats available that give you a little lift, either electric, battery or air-powered.

• If dexterity is also a problem, you might well add a bidet facility to your loo - there are add-ons that fit most standard toilets, and make a very economical alternative to installing a separate bidet. Alternatively, you can install a purpose-built unit that combines toilet, bidet and warm air drying in one - but this is a more expensive option, of course.

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