Bathroom

More falls happen in the bathroom than anywhere else in the home. Wet surfaces, hard edges, awkward heights and the need to balance on one leg make it the most hazardous room in the house.

It is also the room where losing independence is felt most sharply, because bathing and toileting are the things people least want help with.

Where to start

Work out which moment is actually the problem, because each one has a different answer.

Getting over the tub wall. A bath board, a transfer bench, or a step-thru conversion. Transfer benches are the most commonly recommended aid in the house.

Getting into the water. A bath lift lowers you in and raises you out, so you can still have a proper bath rather than switching to showers.

Standing in the shower. A shower chair or stool. If washing hair is the difficulty, choose one with a back, since tilting the head with eyes closed is when balance goes.

Standing up from the toilet. A raised seat if the toilet is too low, or a frame or rail if the problem is having nothing to push up from. Those are different problems and buying the wrong one is common.

Steadying yourself anywhere. Grab bars, fitted into structure rather than drywall.

Managing the whole routine seated. A shower commode chair, wheeled to the bathroom, over the toilet and into the shower, so the person transfers once.

One question worth answering first

Is the bottom of your bath smooth, or moulded with a non-slip texture? Bath mats, bath pillows, suction shower head holders and suction-anchored bath lifts all rely on suction cups, and none of them hold on a textured surface.

Run your hand over the tub floor before ordering anything that suctions.

Ask us

Tell us how the person manages now and where it goes wrong. That is usually enough for us to point you at the right product, and coming into the showroom to try a bench or a chair is worth the trip.