Daily Living Tips for the Elderly
The daily living tips for the elderly include: keeping the home safe to prevent trips and slips; providing adequate lighting, especially in areas prone to accidents; choosing furniture that meets physical needs and is comfortable; paying attention to a balanced diet; exercising moderately to maintain physical health; and maintaining social interactions to reduce loneliness. In addition, regular medical checkups and communication with doctors are also important to ensure their physical and mental health.
Bathroom improvements
The bathroom is a key space in home safety assessment, especially for the elderly. According to research results, the most common place for accidents among the elderly is the bathroom. However, the general bathroom design in Hong Kong is not very friendly to the elderly. Therefore, occupational therapists will pay special attention to the bathroom when conducting home safety assessments and provide corresponding improvement suggestions.
Some areas to improve your bathroom include:
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Safety features: Install non-slip floors or mats in the bathroom to reduce the risk of slipping. At the same time, install handrails or grips around the bathtub or shower area to provide additional support and stability. These features can help the elderly enter and exit the bathroom and use the bathtub or shower more safely.
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Bathroom design: Consider the mobility of the elderly and design a barrier-free bathroom. Choose a low threshold height in the shower area to facilitate the elderly to enter and leave. At the same time, use easy-to-operate faucets and shower controls, as well as clear and readable temperature displays, so that the elderly can easily adjust the water temperature and water flow.
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Shower and bathtub chairs: Provide a sturdy and comfortable shower or bath chair so that the elder can sit down to bathe. This can reduce the pressure of standing and provide more safety and comfort.
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Handles and grab bars: Install sturdy handles and grab bars in the bathroom, such as near the bathtub, shower area, and toilet. These features can provide extra support and balance to help seniors perform daily activities.
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Lighting and ventilation: Make sure there is adequate lighting in the bathroom, especially in the shower area and near the toilet. Also, make sure the bathroom has a good ventilation system to prevent moisture and mold problems.
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Finally, it is best to use a shower curtain instead of a sliding door. Because a sliding door needs to be set on a track on the floor, such a track can cause the floor to be uneven, making it easy for the elderly to trip. But a shower curtain is not only easy to use, but also does not have to worry about tripping on the track. Therefore, when designing a bathroom for the elderly, you can adopt the above suggestions to create a safe and comfortable bathroom for the elderly!
Improving the design and amenities of a bathroom can increase the safety and comfort of seniors in their daily lives. Please note that these suggestions are for reference only and are best further customized and adjusted based on individual needs and circumstances. It is recommended to work with a professional designer, healthcare provider, or occupational therapist to ensure that the bathroom improvement plan meets the needs and health conditions of the senior.
Image from Housing Society Elderly Link
