Often an individual’s home or place of residence is considered their safe haven, a place where they feel the most safe and comfortable. However, danger still lurks within the safety of those four walls. Particularly the dangers associated with a potential fall or fall-related injury.
Perhaps the most dangerous room in a house is the bathroom. The lethal combination of slick bathroom flooring, the presence of water, improperly secured bath rugs, and toilet or shower transition zones makes the bathroom a potential fall zone for individuals of all ages.
A study conducted by the Center for Disease Control found that in 2008 nearly 21.8 million people over the age of 15 sustained non-fatal bathroom injuries resulting in approximately $67.3 billion in lifetime medical costs. Of these injuries, 81% of them occurred due to a fall.
Additionally, the study found that injury rates “increased with age, especially those that occurred on or near the toilet, which increased from 4.1 per 100,000 among persons aged 15–24 years to 266.6 among persons aged ≥85 years. Injuries occurring in or around the tub or shower also increased markedly, from 49.7 per 100,000 among persons aged 15–24 years to 200.2 among persons aged ≥85 years.”
Despite the inherent danger, the following are several ways you can increase the safety of your home’s bathroom:
- Install grab bars inside and outside the shower for safe transitions
- If balance is an issue, install a shower seat
- Provide sufficient, non-glare lighting. Natural light is the best
- Dry off before exiting the shower
- Make sure toiletries can be easily accessed from either the shower or toilet
- Utilize a raised toilet seat to make the transition easier
- Use a non-skid mat such as the SmartCells Fall Protection shower mat tiles
SATECH’s Fall Protection shower mat tiles are easy to install or remove for cleaning, are drain-through, have an anti-slip surface, and utilize the renowned SmartCells cushioning technology.
The dual-stiffness structure of SmartCells fall protection products provides users with a stable standing surface that will not cause a balance impaired person to lose their balance, while at the same time providing 5-7 times more cushioning than a foam mat of the same height. SmartCells cannot absorb liquid, so infection control issues can be more effectively dealt with, too.
SmartCells Fall Protection: We’ll be there when you can’t be.