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Shower & Bathroom Safety

5 Fall Prevention & Home Safety Tips for Older Adults

fall prevention infographic preview

As we age, our home may not be as easy to navigate as it was years ago. Getting up and down a set of stairs may be a chore because of decline in mobility or weaker muscles. The risk of slipping and falling in the bathroom may be much higher, especially if there are no grab bars in the bathtub/shower, or near the toilet. An option for older adults that are having a difficult time getting around at home is a senior/assisted living facility. However, these types of facilities do not offer the familiarity and comfort that a home does. A home is full of memories from holidays and gatherings with family and lifelong friends.

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by Eric Rubel  | 

5 Common Accessibility "Fails"

Side side wrong ramp slope and right ramp slope

Our home accessibility experts are invited into our client’s homes and into our local communities to evaluate for home accessibility solutions, such as stair lifts or wheelchair ramps or lifts. During our evaluations, we often encounter modifications that were done by another company or DIYs that do not meet ADA requirements, or are unsafe.

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by Eric Rubel  | 

Mobility & Accessibility Solutions for In-Home Cancer Patients

blog preview image for mobility solutions for in home cancer patients

People diagnosed with cancer often require additional safety precautions to ensure that any health-related problems do not occur. Day-to-day activities that can be taken for granted will become harder. Simple things like cooking, cleaning, and even walking up the stairs may become strenuous, and even dangerous.

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by Eric Rubel  | 

12 Tips To Prevent Falls in the Bathroom

bathroom solutions for fall prevention Lifeway Mobility

Falls are a hazard that the elderly and people with mobility issues face every day – and the majority of falls happen in the bathroom. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared the bathroom the most dangerous room in the house for older adults.

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by John Burfield  | 

The Art of Toileting: 4 Steps for Seniors & Disabled

customer OTs and family visit Lifeway showroom in Denver to explore safe toileting options

Dale is wheelchair bound and will soon be discharged from the hospital. He doesn’t have a lot of support at home, and because of his disability, his immediate concern was not being able to get his pants up on his own after toileting. Accompanied by his OT, Whitney of Spalding Rebah PSL, and her OTA student, they toured the Lifeway Mobility showroom in Denver and explored various bathroom accessibility solutions. Below are 4 steps Dale & his OT followed that can help make toileting graceful and independent for older adults and those with disabilities. 1. Toileting Height Customizing your toilet height is step one of toileting for anyone with mobility challenges. If you are standing and sitting, the height of the toilet is very important.  The most common toilet height is 13 inches, but a taller toilet can make standing up and sitting down so much easier. Newer toilets are ADA height or 15-16 inches.   Also, you can add a porcelain insert called a toilevator underneath the toilet (red arrow in image above) to add 3.5 inches more or add a elevated toilet seat for 5 more inches. A bidet is another option that can added for easy cleaning, warm water, warm seat, and other luxuries. Bidets can replace the seat on any toilet. They do not need a second seat or a transfer and do not require a power outlet close to the toilet. 2. Shower Chair or ShowerBuddy A second step to make toileting an art, is consider a bath or shower chair that rolls over the toilet. These types of products are made at the correct seat height to roll over the toilet, and eliminate the transfer to the toilet. In the seat is a cutout so that you don't have to move from the rolling chair. These chairs can also roll in to the shower for bathing and cleaning. The ShowerBuddy has the advantage of connecting to a bathtub or shower and allow the seat of the chair to slide into the tub or shower. 3. Overhead Ceiling Lift During the visit, Dale was educated on the SureHands ceiling lift with the Body Support system. This overhead lift setup is great because it grips in just the right places when lifting: Under the thighs and under the arms. It mimics the arms placement and gentle lift provided by a caregiver. Best part is that it can be operated independently. The OT demonstrated the use of the ceiling lift from a bed while Dale looked on. It was then Dale’s turn to test the SureHands ceiling lift out, from his wheelchair. This required some extra hands during the initial trial run, which is common. A sling variation was then attached to the ceiling lift. The goal was to find the best solution that would help Dale toilet independently, while remaining comfortable and painless. 4. Bedside Commode Most health care professional will recommend a bedside commode, which is like having a plastic toilet in your bedroom. Bedside commodes are helpful but typically a last resort. A bedside commode is made of a steel or plastic frame with a bucket under the toilet seat. Art of Toileting Summary In all, the show home tour, the education about the various toileting solutions, ceiling lift systems, and the actual trial runs took the group just over one hour. The end result? Dale found his ideal body lift and transfer solution and left with a smile under his mask, and newfound reassurance that he’ll be okay on his own once he gets home from the hospital.

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by Armando Carrillo  | 

Types of Grab Bars for Bathrooms for Older Adults

types of grab bars

For seniors and those with limited mobility, grab bars can be a lifesaver. There are many types of grab bars that can be added throughout different rooms in a home to provide stability for people who have trouble walking. The bathroom is often the room that makes the most sense for the installation of a grab bar because it is the most dangerous room in a house for seniors or those with limited mobility. In fact, falls in the bathroom due to a wet, slippery floor is one of the top causes of injuries for elderly men and women. Whether it's the barrier that makes it difficult to get in and out of a tub or shower or a toilet that is tough to get off of, the bathroom definitely presents its challenges.

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by Eric Rubel  | 

Converting An Existing Tub To A Walk In Shower

Stepping over the edge of the bathtub wall can prove dangerous for many elderly and disabled people. Create step-in access to your tub/shower with a tub cut out, a low-cost tub-to-shower conversion solution that will provide step-in accessibility to your existing bathtub.

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by Dan Martin  | 

8 Tips to Make Your Home Wheelchair Accessible

At some point, due to age or disability, you or a loved one may be faced with the prospect of having to use a wheelchair to assist in your primary mobility at home. Whether it be a temporary fixture to your home or something that will be more permanent, there are a number of simple modifications that can help improve accessibility and make life easier. If you are like most people, you live in a home that was not designed to accommodate wheelchairs. Below are some simple ideas on how to make sure that you will be able to stay in your home despite the necessity of a wheelchair.

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by Chris Frombach  | 

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