Making a Hyderabad Home Safe: Bathroom, Bedroom and Stairs

Walk the house at night

Take a torch and walk the route from your parent's bed to the toilet, kitchen and front door, at their pace. Where do they hold on? Where do they pause? Which surfaces change? Where is the light poor? Then look for the three usual causes: slippery floors, poor light and clutter. See falls risk assessment at home, occupational therapy home assessment and ageing in place room by room.

The bathroom

Floors. Wet granite, marble or glossy tile can be as slippery as ice. Use ribbed, rubber-backed mats inside and at the bathroom door, and apply anti-slip tape or a coating where mats slide. Dry the floor with a wiper after each use; see non-slip bath mats guide, anti-slip tape and coatings and bathroom flooring for older people.

Grab bars. By the toilet and at the shower or wash area, fixed into the wall with proper plugs or at studs. Marble and granite need the right drill and anchors, so use a competent tradesperson; see grab bar buying guide, where to fit grab bars and suction grab bars are not safe.

Seating. A shower chair or bench and a handheld shower let a tired parent wash seated; in the heat, a cool shower is helpful but standing under it is risky; see shower chair buying guide, handheld shower guide and bath transfer bench guide.

Toilet. A raised toilet seat or frame helps weak knees; see raised toilet seat guide and toilet frame guide; Indian-style toilets may need a commode or conversion; see indian style toilet to western conversion.

Water and ventilation. Set the geyser to a safe temperature and check by hand; see hot water and scald safety for older skin.

Calling for help. A door that opens from outside and a pendant worn in the bathroom; see bathroom emergency alerts and bathroom safety checklist for seniors.

The bedroom

• Bed height and support: feet flat with knees about level with hips; a backrest helps sitting up; see bed height and getting out of bed and backrest and sitting up in bed.
• Night routes: a motion-activated night light between bed and bathroom and a lamp within reach; see motion night lights for seniors and bedroom setup for night safety.
• Heat-season nights: older people sleeping in a cooled room often get up for water and the toilet; keep a glass of water at the bedside, put a mat with a grippy underside beside the bed and avoid rugs; ask the doctor about night-time fluids if your parent has heart or kidney disease; see night time toilet trips and falls.
• Bedside commode or urinal where the bathroom is far; see bedside commode and urinal routines.
• Clear floors: no loose rugs, cables or stacked boxes; see flooring, rugs and trip hazards and decluttering for safety and calm.
• Air conditioning and fans: avoid cold draughts on a sleeping elder; keep the remote within reach.
• Mattress and skin: for those in bed for long hours, see choosing an anti-bedsore mattress.

A ground-floor care room

Families often set up a care room on the ground floor when a parent's mobility declines. If a hospital bed is needed, check the door width and the position of sockets, keep a plan for power cuts and choose a room close to a bathroom with enough turning space for a walker or wheelchair; see hospital bed at home guide, setting up a hospital bed at home, setting up a care room in a joint family home and hospital bed electricity and power cuts. Place the bed where your parent can see the door and family activity; isolation worsens low mood.

Stairs and steps

• Handrails on both sides, continuous and firm; see handrails and stair lifts.
• Step edges: anti-slip tape or contrasting strips, especially on polished stone stairs; see stairs, steps and thresholds.
• Light: bright, glare-free bulbs at top and bottom with switches at both ends; see lighting and contrast at home.
• The porch and gate: many villas have a step at the door and a raised gate sill. A rail and a portable ramp help; see portable ramps for thresholds.
• Gates at the top of stairs for those with memory loss; see wandering and dementia safety.
• Move life downstairs if stairs are too risky; see ground floor vs upper floor living.
• Apartments: know how the lift behaves in power cuts, and how an ambulance team would bring a person down; see lifts and apartment living for seniors and safety in gated societies and apartments.

Terraces, balconies and gardens

Open terraces are pleasant in the evening but can be slippery after rain and have low parapets. Keep a stable chair with arms, clear moss and puddles, and do not leave an older person with memory problems alone on a terrace; see garden, balcony and terrace safety.

Kitchen routes

Keep daily items at waist height, floors dry near the sink and the route to the dining table clear; see kitchen setup for seniors and kitchen safety for older adults. For a parent who forgets the kettle, an auto-off model helps; see auto-off kettle and stove safety.

Power cuts and heat

Summer power cuts can darken stairs and stop fans and cooling. Fit a rechargeable emergency light near the stairs, keep a torch by the bed and a battery fan within reach; see power cuts and older adults.

A weekend checklist

1. Night walk with a torch; list the hazards. 2. Light the route between bed and toilet. 3. Anti-slip tape and mats on stone and tile. 4. One grab bar by the toilet and one at the shower. 5. A rail or ramp at the main step; clear the stairs. 6. Test the pendant; put emergency numbers on the fridge.

For budget help, see home modification budget india and bathroom budget makeover for seniors.

Mistakes to avoid

• Fitting grab bars with plastic plugs in stone or tile, which pull out.
• Leaving loose rugs near a stone staircase.
• Using a ramp that is steep or has no grip.
• Leaving the only night light at the far end of the corridor.
• Ignoring a lift that is often out of order.
• Putting a hospital bed in a room too far from the toilet.

Sharing the work

Many Hyderabad homes have several adults who could help. Agree who does what: one person fits the night light and tape this weekend, another arranges the tradesperson for grab bars, a third speaks to the society about the lift and lighting. Write the list on a single page and tick off tasks. Repeat the night walk after each change, and again after any illness or new medicine; see monthly home safety check.

When to ask a professional

Ask an occupational therapist for a home assessment. Ask a tradesperson who works with stone to fix grab bars and rails. Ask a physiotherapist about balance and walking aids. Call 112 after a fall with injury, head blow or inability to get up.