Since mobility may be a problem, as well as balance, one easy place to start is in the bathroom. The bathroom is the one room in the home where the most accidents occur, especially slip-and-falls. Anyone, no matter the age, can slip on a puddle of water, or trip over the lid of a standard shower or bath tub. But with a few adjustments, you can decrease the chance for such an accident and make life a little easier.

Start with the floor. Make sure anything you can get off of the floor is off. Clean floors are a must, if you can. Depending on the type of remodeling project you’re willing to take on, you may want to install a pedestal vanity. Below, we’ll talk about non-skid mats you can put down if you decide not to remodel your bathroom to help an aging adult live independently, but you may want to consider carpeting the entire floor. This type of renovation will ensure that water does not pool on the floor, which could cause someone to slip and fall.

On the walls, you should install grab bars, which can help someone stay balanced as they move around the bathroom. Certainly, you should install grab bars near the toilet and the shower/tub itself. Make sure you install the grab bars in drywall, and make sure that they are firmly anchored into place. One surefire way to cause someone to slip and fall is if a grab bar someone is holding onto comes loose from the wall.

Look at the appliances you have in the bathroom. Electricity and water don’t mix, so anything with a plug should be replaced with battery-operated appliances.

Another easy fix is replacing any knobs in the bathroom (like on a cabinet) with pulls. Pulls are easier for someone with limited mobility to use, as opposed to knobs, which must be twisted. Someone with arthritis may find knobs difficult to use. Something as simple as pulls is an easy way to help someone.

And look at the lighting in the bathroom. Is there enough lighting for someone to see if there is water on the floor, or where the lip of the tub or shower is? Consider adding lights above the toilet and above the shower.

Perhaps the most important renovation you can do is to replace your existing tub or shower with a walk-in tub. Such a tub provides not only peace of mind but also a safe space in which someone can clean themselves. With no lip to step over, you minimize possible slip and falls. You may also want to install a seat in the shower, so that someone with limited mobility does not have to stand while showering. If you cannot install a walk-in tub, then consider installing at least a seat.

If you choose not to replace your current shower or tub with a walk-in tub, then you should, at the very least, put in place non-skid mats on the floor, perhaps several, and definitely one by the tub or shower. A mat will not only give someone using the tub or shower a fairly dry surface on which to stand (you may want to take it off the floor in between showers or baths, if possible), but it will also help someone using the shower or tub stay balanced as they get into and out of a standard shower.

Helping someone retain the ability to live independently is something that is important to do as well as simple to do, if you take into account all the ways in which someone may get hurt in the bathroom. A few changes can go a long way.

You can probably complete a bathtub project in less than a weekend, as long as you make a checklist of what you need to do it and follow it. How many of your do-it-yourself projects end up taking longer than expected because you didn’t follow your things-to-do list? Keep this list handy, and you will stay on track and have your tub installed in a timely fashion.

Pick a Bathtub

There are options. Plenty of them. Keep in mind the person’s current and future mobility. Don’t custom build a bathtub today that will need to be redone in five years. Planning ahead will save you headaches in the future. You can find tubs that will accommodate someone who does and does not need a wheelchair. Ultimately, pick the tub that works best for the person who will use it. Get their input. They may not like that they need a new tub, so make sure you keep that in mind when you talk to them.

Create a Realistic Budget

How much can you spend to remodel the bathroom? You may need to address other issues in the bathroom along with the tub. Don’t worry about building out the current bathroom unless there is or may be a wheelchair involved. Modifying your existing tub will cost less than installing a new tub, but modifying your tub now and then installing a new tub in the future will have a higher cost than installing a new tub now that will continue to be functional and usable as the adult ages.

Get Estimates

Estimates are important if you’re going to install the tub yourself or if you’re going to find someone to do it for you. Get estimates on how much a new tub, and how much modifying an existing tub, will cost. If you decide to hire someone to do the work for you, talk about how much of the work you can do yourself. You may be able to install grab bars, flooring, and mats in the tub, which will lower the overall out-of-pocket costs associated with hiring someone to take on a bathroom remodel.

Install Grab Bars

Grab bars and slip-proof flooring may be all you need to do to make your bathroom and tub safer and easier to use. Consider the person’s current and future mobility in any decision you make. Do they need a seat in the tub? Will they need a seat in the tub?

Any Extras?

You can easily increase the function of a tub, as well as any future resale value, by including built-in steam features, Jacuzzi-style jets, and showerheads that have different speeds and that may detach from the wall. Choose extras that fit the décor of the bathroom.

Building a bathtub, especially one that takes into account all of the challenges an aging adult may face, can be moderately difficult. But the benefits inherent in making sure your loved one is able to safely take a shower or a bath are innumerable.

But we can help.

What we at Independent Home can do is make sure your aging loved one never has to worry when he or she steps into the tub again, which means you never have to worry. Our walk-in tubs are designed to make sure the elderly, and men and women with mobility handicaps, can safely enter and exit the bathtub. Call us at 800-373-4322 any time or fill out this form and we can get back to you when it’s convenient for you.

The bathroom, says the Council, even if the smallest room in your house, may have the most hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) dangers. Think about it. In the bathroom, there is the possibility of drowning, getting burned, falling, getting poisoned, and getting shocked. No matter the age of the person or people using the bathroom, the Council has put together a list of safety tips to keep in mind. The tips range from quick and easy to implement to completing a total bathroom renovation.

To Safety-Proof Your Bathroom:

• Install a grab bar by the bathtub, shower, and toilet
• Put non-slip strips in your tub and shower
• Put a bath mat next to the tub and shower (preferably a bath mat with a non-skid bottom)
• Make sure your bathroom floor stays clean and dry
• Clean up spills immediately
• Use a nightlight (consider getting one that turns on automatically when it is dark in the room)
• Know what in your bathroom are poisons (e.g., cleaning supplies, medicines)
• Read labels on boxes and bottles you have in your bathroom, and look for words like caution, warning, poison, and danger
• Never take medicine or cleaning agents out of the containers in which they came and put in a different container
• Set your water heater at no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• Never leave a lit candle burning unattended
• Remodel your bathroom, including installing a walk-in bathtub

Implementing some of these tips will be easy, but others may require you to seek professional help. If you’re thinking about remodeling your bathroom so that an elderly adult has an easier time using the shower/tub, keep in mind that the easiest fix is your tub itself.

The higher the tub, the more likely someone can get hurt getting in and out of it. The lower the tub (and the lowest would be a walk-in tub or shower), the more likely you can prevent a fall from occurring.

What we at Independent Home can do is make sure your aging loved one never has to worry when he or she steps into the tub again, which means you never have to worry. Our walk-in tubs are designed to make sure the elderly, and men and women with mobility handicaps, can safely enter and exit the bathtub. Call us at 800-373-4322 any time or fill out this form and we can get back to you when it’s convenient for you.

But you don’t have to do it alone. We can help make sure your aging loved one never has to worry when he or she steps into the tub again, which means you never have to worry. Our walk-in tubs are designed to make sure the elderly, and men and women with mobility handicaps, can safely enter and exit the bathtub. Call us at 800-373-4322 any time or fill out this form and we can get back to you when it’s convenient for you.

Toilets

Standard-size toilets are usually 15 to 17 inches tall (measured from the floor to the top of the seat), and seats at this height can become difficult for an elderly or mobility-impaired person to sit on, especially someone with arthritis or problems with their hips, knees, and/or back. Installing a raised toilet seat can give someone the height they need to safely and more easily sit on the toilet.

A 15-inch toilet means someone sitting down on it will need to squat, which can injuresomeone’s knees or aggravate an existing knee injury. Even if such an injury does not occur, and even if you can sit on the toilet, some people may find standing after difficult.

Installing a raised toilet seat can give someone who needs help added independence. Asking someone to help you sit and stand from the toilet may be, at best, awkward, but more than likely embarrassing (for both parties). And since raised toilet seats are easy to install, when the time comes that someone needs help sitting and standing, such a project may be the best way to ease someone into the idea of a bathroom remodel based on their current or future mobility needs.

So how high to elevate? An extra five or seven inches may do the trick. You can find a molded plastic seat that will adhere to your existing toilet, or you can install a raised platform over the toilet (depending on how much room you have in your bathroom) on which someone can sit comfortably. Such a device may be useful if there are several people sharing a bathroom, since the device can be moved after use by someone who needs it.

Along with raising the toilet seat, you should install grab bars around the toilet. See our feature on installing safety bars in the shower for tips on other places where safety bars may be useful.

When installing safety bars for use near the toilet, consider how much wall space you have near the toilet, how close other fixtures will be to the installed safety bar, and if the safety bar will interfere with other people in the household who may be using the toilet. As with safety bars you install in the shower, never use a towel rod as a safety bar, as towel rods are not sturdy enough to help someone if they start to slip.

With about 5.1 million people injured in the home each year due to slipping and falling, you can help prevent such an accident from happening in your bathroom by putting in place effective safety measures.

But you don’t have to do it alone. We can help make sure your aging loved one never has to worry when he or she steps into the tub again, which means you never have to worry. Our walk-in tubs are designed to make sure the elderly, and men and women with mobility handicaps, can safely enter and exit the bathtub. Call us at 800-373-4322 any time or fill out this form and we can get back to you when it’s convenient for you.

Safety bars

Regardless of the age of the person using the tub, you should install a safety (grab) bar. When you choose your grab bar, keep in mind:

• How much wall space there is around the tub
• What material your wall is made of (probably tile)
• Where the plumbing fixtures are behind the wall
• The mobility of the person using the tub

You should pick an institutional-grade (stainless steel probably) grab bar, which may bepricy. You should install grab bars according to directions provided by the manufacturer, and never using a towel rod as a grab bar. Towel rods will not support someone who is losing their balance.

If you’re outfitting your tub for an elderly adult, you will need to install two grab bars probably: A grab bar to use when the person is getting in and out of the tub, and a grab bar to use when the person is sitting down and getting up when already inside the tub (we’ll discuss seats in the tub in a separate post).

For use getting in and out of the tub, consider a vertical bar, which you can attach to the side of the wall at the foot of the tub (where the water faucets and drain are). This type of bar will help the person safely get in and out of the tub. You should pick a bar that is at least 32 inches (and probably not much longer than that). You should install the grab bar at the outer edge of the tub. We do not recommend diagonal grab bars, because some using a diagonal grab bar when getting in and out of the tub may not be able to firmly grasp the bar, which, when coupled with uneasy footing, could lead to a fall.

For inside the tub, install a horizontal support bar, which is best to use when sitting down or getting up from a seated position. Place this bar on the back edge of the tub, which is also where you would place a seat. If you are not placing a seat in this area, then install the horizontal support bar in a place that is near enough to be used when sitting down or getting up from a seated position.

With about 5.1 million people injured in the home each year due to slipping and falling, you can help prevent such an accident from happening in your bathroom by putting in place effective safety measures.

Is Tiling Right for You?

Tiles will help keep moisture out of walls and subfloors, and, by choosing the right tiles, you can help prevent slip-and-fall accidents in your bathroom.  Also, don’t forget the visual element of tiles.

You can use tile on your floor and/or on the wall, but if you’re going to do both, consider whether you want to use the same color tiles in both spaces or if you’d rather use complementary colors. There is no right or wrong answer; just think about your own style and get to work bringing it to life.

When tile shopping, keep in mind the following:

Maintenance

Perhaps most importantly is how much upkeep you will need to ensure your tiles look as good one year later as they do on the day you finish. The material you choose (natural stone, mosaic, porcelain) should match who will most likely use the bathroom. Since porcelain tiles are the easiest to keep clean, you may want to go with these if children will use the bathroom. Natural stone tile may take the most upkeep, since they need to be sealed.

Ease of Use

Natural stone, mosaic, and porcelain tiles are the best tiles to use to prevent a slip-and-fall accident. These tiles are not that slippery when wet. Of course, you can always apply a sealer to the surface of any tile to help it be slip resistant, but going with a type of tile that is naturally slip resistant may be the best option in your home.

Personal Style

As mentioned above, you have a style. Everyone does. And your personal style is probably evident in how you decorate your home. You can extend this style into the bathroom as well. In fact, you should extend your personal style into the bathroom. And when deciding how best to tile your bathroom, or even how you want to decorate your bathroom, consider how it will work depending on who is going to most often use the space. For more on how to design bathrooms depending on size, see other blog posts.

Ask the Experts

Don’t design your bathroom without talking to at least one or two experts in the field. They can tell you the mistakes to avoid and the best way to get what you want without paying through the nose. The experts at Independent Home can also suggest ways to make sure that you’re not setting up an easy for someone to slip and fall in your bathroom.

Who is Using the Bathroom?

Depending on who is going to use the bathroom, you may want to customize the bathroom so it works best for children and young adults, or, if elderly adults will be using the bathroom, remember that elderly adults are more likely to slip and fall in the bathroom than in any other room in the home. And with slip-and-fall accidents being the second-leading death in America and the first cause of death in the home, you should keep in mind ways to safety-proof your bathroom when undertaking any bathroom remodeling project.

For children, remember that children grow up. It’s true. Maybe you don’t think they’ll ever grow up, but they do, and with them, so should their bathroom. Avoid age-specific images or stickers and choose, instead, colors that will age well with your child or children. Also, children make a mess. Toothpaste and water and soap are made for messes, so don’t design the bathroom thinking it’s going to always be clean. You may want to go with porcelain tile, as this type of tile is the easiest to clean. Just wipe downand you’llbe good to go.

What is the Size of the Bathroom?

Have a small bathroom? Go big. The bigger the tile, the fewer grout lines there will be, as large tiles will take up more room in your bathroom than small tiles. The fewer grout lines, the bigger the space looks. Another way to give the illusion of a big bathroom? Whatever color you pick for your tiled should match or be echoed on the color you use on the wall. This type of color matching will open up the space, or at least make it seem that your bathroom is bigger than it really is.

The larger the bathroom, the more likely you are to focus on one area. Don’t go overboard. Really. You don’t have to do something to every square inch of your bathroom in order to get the look you want. Find different areas to highlight, be it an old fashioned vanity or the light fixtures. A little color can go a long way when the space you have in which to work is large.

What Style are You Going For?

If you have a more modern design aesthetic, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that it is now easier than ever to make a big statement in your bathroom without blowing your budget. You can find tiles that look like an assortment of materials – fabric, glass, metal, even leather. Like bright, bold colors? You can find tiles in every color imaginable (and some places will customize tiles for you to be the color you want). From bright pink to ink black, if you want it, you can find it. Also, the fixtures you use in your bathroom should complement not just the overall design in your bathroom but also your entire house. Fixtures can help tie your overall house and its design together.

In a formal bathroom, you not only have to consider daily use but also the fact that this is the bathroom that visitors and guests will typically use. You need to make it functional, but also design it in a way that someone using it for the first time won’t need to ask you for a map to where you keep things. Choose simple colors. And depending on your overall style preference, pair simple fixtures and extras in the bathrooms to make it a room everyone can enjoy.

For most people, hydrotherapy has few or no side effects, especially if you remember not to expose yourself to too much heat or cold for lengthy periods of time. You should also make sure you stay hydrated. However, some people should talk to their doctors before starting any form of hydrotherapy treatment. These people include:

• Anyone with a condition that could be worsened with exposure to extreme temperatures (hot or cold), including anyone with heart disease, lung disease, circulation disorder, Reynaud’s phenomenon, or chilblains

• Anyone whose injuries could be further aggravated by exposure to water jets
• Anyone with nerve damage who may not be able to tell if they are using water at an extreme temperature
• Pregnant women
• Anyone with an implanted medical device, such as a pacemaker

Better Overall Health with Water

So why water? You’ve probably heard that we should drink around 8 glasses of water aday, and that we are primarily comprised of water, but using water externally can increase your blood circulation, including circulation of white blood cells, which are an integral part of your immune system. Water therapy can also increase your endorphins, which, when combined with increased circulation, can strengthen your immune system, heal injured tissue, decrease inflammation, and boost your overall energy and well-being.

Allieviate Body Pain or Arthritis

Along with helping your overall health, hydrotherapy has been used to treat people who have injured one or more parts of the body, who have had a stroke, and who have had or currently have a respiratory infection. This form of therapy can also help people who have arthritis and other similar conditions. You can also reduce your stress levels, sleep better, and have fewer headaches if you regularly use a form of hydrotherapy.

Perhaps surprisingly, soaking in a hot tub has been found to improve blood sugar levels in people who have diabetes, decrease blood pressure, and help people with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, scoliosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and bursitis. Doctors are also beginning to suggest hot tub therapy for people who have been diagnosed as having depression and for people who have pain.

In a whirlpool spa, you’re going to get the benefits of heat, buoyancy, and massage, which, when combined, can give you a unique relaxing and soothing experience. Walk-in tub immersion in hot water is a sure way to increase your circulation. How? Well, spa jets will massage you with a combination of water and air, which will help improve circulation, relieve muscle tension and stiffness, release trigger points, increase motion range, release pressure on the nerves, and promotes overall relaxation.

And because in water you are practically weightless (buoyancy can help you feel as if you are 90 percent lighter), and pain or pressure you feel in your joints or muscles will feel better.

Helpful Home Improvements

According to the IRS, costs related to the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, orprevention of a medical condition or a disease count as medical expenses. And under this wide-range of categories, you can also deduct the cost of equipment, supplies, and any diagnostic devices you need. However, not just any purchase will do. These deductions extend to improvements made to help you or your spouse or other dependent living with you. And if these improvements increase the value of your home, that’s OK. Some of these costs can be deducted as well. How that works is you can deduct the cost of the equipment minus the increase in your property value brought on by the improvement. If there is no increase in property value, then you can deduct the entire cost associated with that improvement.

You can deduct costs associated with alleviating and/or preventing illness, be it physical or mental, and the home improvement must be primarily used for this reason. Sorry. Adding a walk-in spa and claiming it will help you relax or ease your stress at the end of a particularly difficult day isn’t going to get you much more than a possible audit.

Medical Deductions

So how about that swimming pool, hot tub, or spa (swim or walk-in)? If water exercise is prescribed to you as part of an ongoing treatment plan, or as part of ongoing physical therapy, good news, you may be able to partly deduct the cost of the equipment on your tax return. Just be careful. The IRS is likely to question how much the pool or spa is being used for a medical-related condition, and how much the pool or spa is being used for recreation purposes. Show that the equipment is best suited to alleviate pain associated with your condition, and the IRS is likely to allow the deduction.

Other improvements that you may be able to deduct as medical expenses include the following:

• Entrance/exit ramps
• Widened doorways or entrances/exists
• Widened or otherwise altered hallways and doorways
• Railings, support bars, or other modifications to bathrooms (and since you’re more likely to slip and fall in a bathroom than in any other room in your home, you may want to start with these alterations, if you’re suffering from a medical condition that could cause you to lose your balance or if the bathroom is being used by an elderly adult)
• Lowered or otherwise modified cabinets and other equipment in the kitchen
• Modified electrical outlets, fixtures, fire alarms, smoke detectors, or other warning systems
• Lifts, but be careful, elevators are normally seen as adding value to your home
• Modified stairway
• Handrails or grab bars anywhere

Medical care costs should be limited to reasonable costs needed to accommodate a disabled condition or someone suffering from an ongoing condition. You can also include any costs associated with operating the improvement, such as air filters you need for a pool, spa, or heater. Hidden costs are also deductible, so water, electricity, cleaning, repairs, maintenance, and chemicals count.

The above information is provided for informational purposes only and should not be used as official tax information. Please review IRS Publication 502 or check with a certified public accountant. Publication 502 also has a list of medical expenses that you may or may not be able to deduct.

Hydrotherapy (water therapy) has been found to help people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a New England Journal of Medicine article. Spa therapy (or hot tub therapy), according to the study, can be beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes because it has been found to reduce blood sugar levels, improve overall sleep patterns, and give people with diabetes an increased sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, because many people with Type 2 diabetes are unable to follow the rigorous type of exercise program most doctors recommend, soaking in a hot tub is now seen as an alternate therapy. The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed how a 30-minute soak a day for three consecutive weeks reduced overall blood sugar levels in people participating in the study by 13 percent.

Another benefit to soaking in a hot tub or enjoying time in a walk-in spa is that manypeople with diabetes, who often report high levels of stress, feel better and less stressed after participating in a form of hydrotherapy treatment. People with diabetes also reported relaxed muscles, increased circulation, and reduced blood pressure.

The water you soak in appears to also be an effective pain reliever because it gives your body buoyancy that does not or would not otherwise occur. Soaking in water can help support all areas of your body, contribute to reduced muscle and join pain, invigorate your muscles, and stimulate the release of chemicals and hormones in your body, which can help you feel better.

Other things people with Type 2 diabetes can do to lessen symptoms of their diabetes include:

• Avoiding starchy foods
• Avoiding eating foods with high amounts of oil (or, using less oil in food you cook)
• Enjoying a low-fat diet
• Avoiding junk foods
• Avoiding sweets
• Avoiding alcohol and coffee
• Avoiding stress or other less-relaxing activities

People with Type 1 diabetes may also benefit from hydrotherapy, as these people also report joint stiffness and a limited range of motion. Both of these side effects of the diabetes may be alleviated by hydrotherapy, but the diabetes itself may not be affected.