Making a Coimbatore Home Safe: Bathroom, Bedroom and Stairs

Begin with the night route

Walk from the bed to the toilet in the dark, as your parent does. Note every step, rug, cable, sharp turn and unlit corner. The route between bed and toilet is where most night falls happen, so make it the first priority. Add a motion-sensor night light, clear the floor, make sure the person can sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before standing and consider a commode if the walk is long; see bedroom setup for night safety, motion night lights for seniors and night-time toilet trips and falls. For a general check, see monthly home safety check.

The bathroom

Floor and surfaces. Use a non-slip mat with drainage holes inside the wet area and a dry mat outside, and add anti-slip tape or coating to smooth tiles; see non-slip bath mats guide, anti-slip tape and coatings and bathroom flooring for older people. Dry the floor after each use, especially in the rainy months.

Grab bars. Fit them into the wall with proper plugs beside the toilet, in the shower and at the entry; avoid suction bars; see grab bar buying guide, where to fit grab bars and suction grab bars are not safe.

Seating. A shower chair or bench with rubber feet lets a person wash seated and save energy; a handheld shower directs water; see shower chair buying guide, handheld shower guide and bathing safely with a shower chair.

The toilet. A raised seat or frame helps with standing; for a squat toilet, see indian style toilet to western conversion, raised toilet seat guide and toilet frame guide.

Safety and help. Make sure the door can be opened from outside, the light is bright and a call method is within reach; see bathroom emergency alerts. Take care with geysers and water temperature; see safe use of heaters and geysers. On cool mornings, warm the bathroom first to avoid dizziness from sudden changes.

See bathroom safety checklist for seniors and bathroom safety products for seniors.

The bedroom

• Bed height: feet flat on the floor, knees at about right angles, with a firm edge; see bed height and getting out of bed.
• Light: a bedside lamp and a night light on the route; see lighting and contrast at home.
• Temperature: layers and a light quilt for cool nights; if a heater is used, keep it away from bedding, ventilate and never use charcoal or open flames in a closed room; see cold weather warmth, hot packs and layers.
• Dust control: damp-dust rather than dry sweep, wash bed linen regularly, keep the room ventilated on low-dust hours and, if allergic, ask the doctor about a room air purifier; see air purifier buying guide and indoor air quality for older lungs.
• Clear floor: no shoes, bags or cords near the bed; slippers with grip.
• Within reach: water, phone or pendant, spectacles, hearing aids in a case, torch and the pill box.
• For someone mostly in bed: a hospital bed, a pressure-relieving mattress and repositioning; see hospital bed at home guide, air mattress for pressure sores and preventing bedsores at home.
• Bed rails only on advice; see bed rails guide.
• Small rooms: see small room bed layouts.

Stairs, verandas and entrances

Houses with gardens often have a few steps at the entrance, a veranda and a staircase to an upper floor.

• Handrails on both sides, continuous and firm; see handrails and stair lifts.
• Step edges marked with contrasting, non-slip tape, and light switches at top and bottom; see stairs, steps and thresholds.
• Clear steps: nothing stored, no loose mats.
• Veranda and garden paths: wet in the northeast monsoon; non-slip surface, a handrail beside steps and light after dark.
• A portable ramp where a rollator or wheelchair needs to cross a step; see portable ramps for thresholds.
• Move daily living downstairs where possible, with a bedroom and bathroom close by; see ground floor vs upper floor living.
• Apartments: check that the lift works during power cuts and takes a wheelchair or stretcher; see lifts and apartment living for seniors and care equipment for a first-floor flat.

Living areas, kitchen and dust

• Floors: remove or fix rugs, tidy cables, keep paths wide; see flooring, rugs and trip hazards.
• Chairs: firm, with arms and a seat height that allows standing; see choosing a chair for an older person and helping an elderly parent stand from a chair.
• Kitchen: daily items between waist and shoulder height; an auto-off kettle for the forgetful; see kitchen safety for older adults and reacher grabber guide.
• Dust from outside: a mat at the door, closed windows during heavy dust, damp-mopping, and washing hands and face after outings for a person with allergy.

Hearing, vision and safety

Poor hearing or vision turns ordinary hazards into dangers: a person may not hear a pressure cooker, a doorbell or a vehicle, or may not see a step edge. Check hearing and eyes regularly; see hearing and vision checkup schedule. Fit a hearing aid if advised, and use TV headphones so that the television does not need to be loud; see hearing aid buying guide, tv headphones guide and caring for a parent with hearing loss. Use bright light, contrast on edges and a magnifier lamp for reading; see low vision home safety.

Living alone or on the outskirts

If your parent lives alone, or on the growing edges of the city, check how quickly a doctor, pharmacy or ambulance can arrive, and plan for the gap: a way to call from bed and bathroom, a spare key with a neighbour or a key safe, a daily check-in, visible emergency numbers and a medicine stock; see home safety for seniors living alone, key safe guide, panic pendant buying guide and ambulances and emergency numbers in india. No device ensures rescue; agree who responds.

Adjusting for particular needs

• Walkers and rollators: wide doors, ramps over thresholds; see rollator buying guide.
• Wheelchair users: space to turn and an accessible bathroom; see bathroom layout for wheelchair users.
• After stroke or surgery: follow therapist advice; see bathroom safety after stroke and after hip surgery bathroom setup.
• Dementia: simple, labelled spaces; see dementia home setup.
• Arthritis: lever taps, easy-grip handles; see arthritis home care guide.

Priorities

First: night lighting, remove loose rugs, fixed grab bars and non-slip surfaces in the bathroom, handrails on steps. Then: seating, bed changes, hearing and vision checks and equipment. See bathroom budget makeover for seniors. Review every few months and after any fall or illness.

A monthly safety round

Once a month, spend ten minutes with your parent checking the basics: are the night lights working, are mats flat and dry, do grab bars feel firm when pulled, is the handrail loose, are there new cables or boxes on the floor, are shoes by the door dry, do spectacles and hearing aids sit where they can be found and does the pendant or phone have charge? Ask your parent what has felt difficult this month, because people often avoid a step or a corner for weeks before mentioning it. Fix small things at once and write bigger ones on a list. After a rainy spell or a cool snap, repeat the round with the bathroom and entrance in mind.

When to ask a professional

An occupational therapist can assess the home; see occupational therapy home assessment. A qualified electrician or plumber should do fixed work. A physiotherapist can assess balance. The doctor should review dizziness, vision, hearing and medicines. For senior citizens' information and support, Elderline 14567 is a helpline; check current availability. After a fall with head injury or suspected fracture, call 112.