Home Safety Assessment - Bathroom

From the Department of Rehabilitation Science - University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Portions of the full document are used here as a helpful tool to find issues in your home.

Bathroom

The list identifies all the potential home hazards that may cause a fall.

1. Presence of unsafe bath rugs
2. Lack of grab bars in the tub
3. Lack of grab bars in the shower area
4. Lack of grab bars near the toilet
5. Toilet is too high or low
6. Slippery tub
7. Claw foot/tub high to get into
8. Lack of bath chair in shower area
9. Clutter
10. Incorrect placement of grab bars

Solutions to Problems in the Bathroom

1. Presence of unsafe bath rugs.

• Use a bath rug with non-skid bottom.

2. Lack of grab bars in the tub 

• Add a bath grab bar on the wall.

3. Lack of grab bars in the shower area 

• Add grab bars to the wall near the shower and on the wall where the bath faucets are.

4. Lack of grab bars near the toilet 

• Add a grab bar next to the toilet wall or toilet safety grab bars that attach at the toilet seat screws.

5. Toilet is too high or too low

• Add a raised toilet seat for seats that are too low.
• Consider a lower profile toilet if it is too high.

6. Slippery tub 

• Add adhesive non-skid decals to the bottom of the tub.

7. Claw foot or other type of tub that is too high to get into easily  

• Add a tub transfer bench to slide into the tub area or replace with a lower tub.

8. Lack of bath chair in the tub or shower area or tub transfer bench

• Add a bath chair along with grab bars to the tub or shower area. A tub transfer bench is helpful if you have difficulty stepping into the tub area, because you can sit and slide over into the tub area.

9. Clutter

• Remove clutter from all floor areas to drawers or closets. Inexpensive plastic cabinets or rolling units can be purchased to store bath items.

10. Incorrect placement of grab bars

• If permanently installed, hire a qualified professional to change the grab bars to the correct location and angle.