There are many life situations our aging loved ones must deal with, and the increasing dependence on others is one of them. When an aging member of your family can no longer live on their own and the decision is made for them to move into your home, there will need to be certain changes made in order to accommodate their needs. Whether your family member moving in is the result of anillness, injury, or just the typical physical decline that comes with aging, it will be important to help them maintain as much autonomy as possible. Moving from your own home and into someone else’s home is a major life transition and can be stressful. The aging family member may feel as though they are placing a burden on their loved ones so assisting them to feel as independent as possible will be essential to easing their concerns.
There will need to be various modifications made throughout your home in order to allow your aging relative to live comfortably. Your family member may have mobility issues and need various measures implemented to assist them in getting around and performing their activities of daily living. Among the various activities of daily living, bathing is one of the most essential tasks your loved one must accomplish. Unfortunately, the bathroom can be a treacherous place for an elderly person and a bathing injury could be catastrophic to their health and quality of life. Safety issues among the elderly in the bathroom are usually due to a decline in physical capabilities and an inability to safely use a standard tub or shower. Falls occur more frequently in the bathroom than in any other room in the house and the majority of injuries occur near the tub or shower.
Recognizing that there are potential dangers for your aging loved one in the bathroom, it will be important to make some modifications. Installing a Safe Step Tub will greatly decrease the likelihood of any injury while helping your loved one maintain as much independence as possible. Safe Step Tubs come with many standard safety and convenience features as well as therapeutic advantages. Your family member will be able to maintain their health, safety and comfort with a Safe Step Tub.
Your family member will be able to independently get in and out of the tub through the walk in door that is easy to close. Once inside the tub there is a comfortable seat that is heated, easy to reach controls, a hand held shower wand, and anti-slip floor and seat to prevent falls. Along with these features to ensure safety while bathing, the Safe Step Tub offers therapeutic ways to decrease pain with hydro-jet water therapy, amicro soothe therapy system, dual hydrotherapy massage system, and even aromatherapy.
If your loved one prefers a shower over a bathtub, another option when modifying your bathroom would be to install a Safe Step Walk-in shower that contains a built-in folding safety chair with comfortable padded arm rests and seat. There is a built-in safety bar to hold onto and an anti-slip safety floor to help prevents falls.
Installing either a Safe Step Tub or a Safe Step Walk-in shower will ensure your family members safety while bathing and help them to maintain as much independence as possible. Moving an aging relative into your home is a major life transition, but by ensuring their safety with these bathroom modifications it will lessen your stress and worries.