January is Bath Safety Month, and we want you to know all about some great safety products that help prevent painful bathroom falls.

How Serious Are Falls

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one out of four older people falls each year, and falling once doubles your chances of falling again. One out of five falls causes a serious injury such as broken bones, hip fracture or a head injury. Fall injuries can make it hard for a person to get around, do everyday activities, or live on their own.

The severity of a fall can depend on whether the person is taking certain medicines like blood thinners. Many people who fall including those who are not injured, become afraid of falling. They may become less active, which can cause weakness and increase the chances of falling.

What Makes You More Likely to Fall?

Most falls are caused by several risk factors, which can be changed or modified to help prevent falls. The more of these risk factors a person has, the more likely he/she is to fall. A person’s chance of falling can be reduced if these following risk factors are addressed and treated:

• Lower body weakness
• Not enough vitamin D in your system
• Difficulties with walking and balance
• Use of certain medicines
• Vision problems
• Foot pain or poor footwear
• Home hazards such as
  • broken or uneven steps, and
  • throw rugs or items that can be tripped over.

Bath Aids That Work

The bathroom is an important room to focus on for safety due to hard, wet surfaces and several corners and edges where the head can impact during a fall. Carmichael’s locations carry a variety of bath aids, including grab bars for elderly home care patients, raised toilet seats and more.

Install grab bars so your loved one can have something to hold and support themselves with. In case of a fall, grab bars can help your loved one catch or brace themselves. Grab bars provide safety with moving in/out of the shower or bathtub or getting on/off the toilet. They are tools for standing, sitting, and preventing slippery falls.

Raised toilet seats reduce the distance that elderly people need to lower themselves to the seat and stand from the toilet. They are helpful for people with lower extremity weakness, insufficient balance, inflammatory health conditions or arthritis. Some elevated toilet seats also can be assembled without tools.

Bath aids are proven to reduce the risk of falling in the bathroom and prevent serious and fatal injuries caused by a fall. We are your one-stop shop for grab bars for elderly care and raised toilet seats. Contact information for Carmichael’s retail locations in Crowley, Lafayette and Lake Charles is available here.