Home Safety Assessment - Bathroom
Posted by MARY LYNCH

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.
- Presence of unsafe bath rugs
- Lack of grab bars in the tub
- Lack of grab bars in the shower area
- Lack of grab bars near the toilet
- Toilet is too high or low
- Slippery tub
- Claw foot/tub high to get into
- Lack of bath chair in shower area
- Clutter
- 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.
Get an in-home safety assessment
Contact us for more information and an estimate to have Aging Graceful at Home perform an in-home safety assessment for you.