Q: My mother lives alone in a senior’s high-rise. I have heard that people older than 65 who have fallen account for more than 60 percent of all injury-related admissions to hospitalized emergency services and more than 50 percent of those who die from falls are older than 65.
How can I be sure my mother is safe?
A: The figures you have cited come from the United States. I am not sure those figures are as devastating here in Canada as they are down there, but they are frightening and are in some ways a call to action to make life better for all seniors.
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The one figure you forgot to mention is that 80 percent of falls for seniors in the home are in their bathrooms. Clearly, that is the place to start.
If you want your mom’s home to be safe and accommodating for her, check her washroom. Remember this. The bathroom is the smallest room in the house. If she falls there, chances are good that apart from crashing to the floor, she will hurt herself on the way down, perhaps hitting her head or twisting her wrist. There is no room for a clean fall in the bathroom.
Seniors often fall in the bathroom while getting in and out of either the bathtub or the shower or using the toilet.
Often, people have small scatter rugs by their bathtubs and showers but if those mats are not embedded with rubber backings, they easily slip, especially when floors are wet. Check the floors in your mom’s washroom and make sure that they are not likely to slip when damp.
I believe in many jurisdictions, building codes for multiple living units now insist that grab bars be mounted in washrooms. This is a newer restriction. If your mother’s washroom does not have grab bars for both her tub or shower and her toilet, you can insist they be installed. They make a huge difference.
Lighting is an issue. Most seniors’ quarters have sufficient light for their washrooms but the routes to the washroom in the dark are not always well lit. Check it out. You might have to pick up a night light or two for your mom.
Finally, don’t overlook the toilet in your mom’s suite. If your mom does not have one of those new raised seated toilets, get one for her.
Toilets are easy to replace. I am sure the management of your mom’s building would not object to you replacing her toilet, especially if you carry the costs yourself.
Those extra three or four inches on a raised seat make sitting down and standing up much easier.
I would not want you to think that I have exhausted the list of recommendations for adding safety to your mom’s bathroom.
Check online for more suggestions or have a word with your local plumber. He will likely have a resource list of recommendations for safety in the washroom. You can also contact a care adviser. Some provinces also offer helpful tips on their websites. In Alberta, you can consult myhealth.alberta.ca, and search for bathroom safety.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
