Making a Kochi Home Safe: Bathroom, Bedroom and Stairs

Start with a walk-through in wet conditions

Do your safety audit on a rainy evening, not a dry afternoon. Walk the route from the front door to the sitting area, to the kitchen, to the bed and to the bathroom, in the footwear your parent actually wears, and look at what happens when feet or aids are wet. Where do you feel the surface slide? Where is the light poor? Where does water pool or drip in? Make a list in order of risk. For a general home check, see monthly home safety check and falls risk assessment at home.

The entrance

• Steps: add a handrail that can be gripped firmly, anti-slip tape or a non-slip coating on each step edge and good lighting; see anti-slip tape and coatings and stairs, steps and thresholds.
• A dry zone: a rack for shoes and umbrellas, a rough doormat that is fixed at the edges, and a towel so that wet feet and aids are dried at the door.
• A seat by the door for taking shoes on and off.
• A portable ramp where a rollator or wheelchair must pass over a step or threshold; see portable ramps for thresholds.
• Light: a motion-sensor light outside, since monsoon evenings are dark.
• A key safe or a spare key with a neighbour so that help can enter; see key safe guide.

Floors in living areas

Polished tile, stone or terrazzo are cool and easy to clean, but slippery when wet or when dusty.

• Use non-slip treatments rather than loose rugs, which curl and slide; see flooring, rugs and trip hazards.
• Keep floors dry; wipe up drips from umbrellas, wet clothes and leaks at once.
• Wear closed shoes with grip or socks with grip at home rather than smooth slippers; see choosing shoes for older feet.
• Remove clutter and cables, and keep paths wide for a walker.
• Make sure furniture is stable enough to hold, and that chairs have arms and a firm seat; see choosing a chair for an older person.

The bathroom: the highest-risk room

The threshold. A raised bathroom threshold means a step over a wet edge. Mark it with contrasting anti-slip tape, put a grab bar on the wall beside it, and consider a small bevelled ramp so that there is no hop; see bathroom flooring for older people.

The floor. Use a non-slip mat with drainage holes inside the wet area and a second dry mat outside; apply anti-slip tape or coating to smooth tiles; keep a wiper handy; see non-slip bath mats guide.

Grab bars. Fix them into the wall with proper plugs, not suction cups, which loosen in steam and wet; see grab bar buying guide, where to fit grab bars and suction grab bars are not safe. Common positions are beside the toilet, in the shower and at the entry.

Seating. A shower chair or bath bench with rubber feet allows seated bathing; a handheld shower keeps water where it is needed; see shower chair buying guide, handheld shower guide, bath transfer bench guide and shower seat vs bath bench vs commode.

The toilet. A raised seat or toilet frame helps those who struggle to stand; for squat toilets, see indian style toilet to western conversion; see raised toilet seat guide and toilet frame guide.

Safety and calling for help. Make sure the door can be opened from outside; keep a way to call (a pendant, a bell or a phone); keep the room well lit; see bathroom emergency alerts. Keep electrical items away from water.

Damp control. Ventilate after bathing, keep a window or fan working, wipe walls and floors, and dry towels in the sun to reduce mould; see pest, damp and mould at home.

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

The bedroom

• Bed height: feet flat on the floor with knees at about right angles; see bed height and getting out of bed.
• Damp bedding: humid air makes mattresses and pillows damp. Use a breathable mattress protector, air and sun-dry bedding regularly and keep the bed away from damp walls; see mattress protector guide.
• Night light and path: a motion-sensor light between bed and bathroom and a clear floor; see motion night lights for seniors, bedroom setup for night safety and night-time toilet trips and falls.
• For a person confined to bed: a hospital bed with adjustable height, a pressure-relieving air mattress and regular repositioning, because pressure sores develop faster in humid heat; see hospital bed at home guide, air mattress for pressure sores and preventing bedsores at home.
• Ventilation and mosquitoes: a fan or open window with screens or a net; avoid strong smoke from coils for people with breathing problems.
• Within reach: water, phone or pendant, spectacles, a torch and the pill box.
• Small rooms: see small room bed layouts.

Stairs and upper floors

• Handrails on both sides, continuous, firm and at a comfortable height; see handrails and stair lifts.
• Step edges: contrasting, non-slip; light switches at top and bottom.
• Clear steps: nothing stored on them, no loose mats.
• Where possible, move daily living to the ground floor, with a bedroom and bathroom close to each other; see ground floor vs upper floor living and care equipment for a first-floor flat.
• Flats with lifts: check that the lift works during power cuts and is large enough for a wheelchair or stretcher; see lifts and apartment living for seniors.
• Balconies and verandas: wet and slippery in the rains; use mats with grip, check railings and keep a chair for resting.

Light, contrast and power cuts

Monsoon evenings are dark, and storms can cut the power. Use bright, even light and contrast on edges; see lighting and contrast at home. Keep a charged emergency light or torch at the bed, in the hallway and in the bathroom, and a power bank for the phone and pendant; see power cuts and older adults. Electric beds and pumps need a plan; see hospital bed electricity and power cuts.

Adapting for particular needs

• Walkers and rollators: wide doors, no thresholds without ramps; see rollator buying guide.
• Wheelchair users: space to turn, a roll-in shower or bench, lowered switches; see bathroom layout for wheelchair users.
• Poor vision: contrast and light; see low vision home safety.
• After stroke or surgery: follow the therapist's plan; see bathroom safety after stroke and after hip surgery bathroom setup.
• Dementia: simple, labelled and safe spaces; see dementia home setup.

Priorities when money or time is short

Do these first: night-route lighting, remove loose rugs, non-slip surfaces and fixed grab bars in the bathroom, handrails and step edges at the entrance, a way to call for help. Then add seating, bed changes and equipment. See bathroom budget makeover for seniors.

When to ask a professional

An occupational therapist can assess the home and advise on adaptations; 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 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.