Making a Kolkata Home Safe: Bathroom, Bedroom and Stairs

Start with a night walk

Walk the route your parent takes from bed to toilet to kitchen, with a torch, at their pace. Notice stairs, steps between rooms, floor surfaces, where the light fails and what is on the floor. Ask where they feel unsteady. See falls risk assessment at home, occupational therapy home assessment and ageing in place room by room.

Stairs: the first priority in an old house

• Rails on both sides, continuous and firm; a rail on one side is better than none; see handrails and stair lifts.
• Step edges: anti-slip tape on every tread, with a contrasting strip on the nose so the edge is visible; worn, polished or tiled treads are slippery, particularly when damp; see anti-slip tape and coatings and stairs, steps and thresholds.
• Light: a bright, glare-free bulb at top, middle and bottom, with switches at both ends, or motion lights on each landing; see lighting and contrast at home and motion night lights for seniors.
• Clear steps: no shoes, bags or laundry.
• A rest point: a sturdy chair on a landing for someone who tires.
• A gate at the top or bottom for a parent with memory loss, with a door sensor if they may wander; see wandering and dementia safety and door sensor guide.
• Reduce use: if possible, put the bedroom, toilet and daily living on one level; see ground floor vs upper floor living.
• A stair lift is rarely practical on narrow, steep stairs; a therapist can advise.
• Technique: a physiotherapist can teach stair technique with a stick; see using a walking stick on stairs and slopes.

The bathroom

Floors: Humidity keeps tile and stone damp, and soap makes them slick. Use ribbed rubber-backed mats where feet land and anti-slip tape or coating where mats slide; dry the floor after use; avoid loose rugs; see non-slip bath mats guide and bathroom flooring for older people.

Grab bars: by the toilet and at the shower, fixed into the wall with proper plugs; old walls may be plaster over brick, so ask a tradesperson to check; 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 stool and a handheld shower; see shower chair buying guide and handheld shower guide.

Toilet: a raised seat or frame; Indian-style toilets may need conversion or a commode; see raised toilet seat guide, toilet frame guide and indian style toilet to western conversion.

Steps into the bathroom: many old bathrooms have a raised sill; mark it with contrast tape, add a rail, and consider a ramp; see portable ramps for thresholds.

Water temperature, ventilation and mould: see hot water and scald safety for older skin and pest, damp and mould at home.

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: feet flat, knees about level with hips; see bed height and getting out of bed.
• A commode on the bedroom floor, so that no one has to use stairs or cross a wet floor at night; see commode chair guide, commode chair cleaning and hygiene and bedside commode and urinal routines.
• Night lighting: a switch or lamp within reach of the bed and a motion light along the route; see bedroom setup for night safety.
• Clear floors: remove loose rugs, cables and clutter; see flooring, rugs and trip hazards.
• Damp and mould: keep the bed away from damp walls, air the mattress and use a breathable protector; see mattress protector guide.
• Mosquitoes: a net or screen helps in the monsoon; make sure it does not trap a person trying to get out; see dengue and malaria in older adults.
• Bed rails and a hospital bed: take advice first; see bed rails guide and hospital bed at home guide.

A ground-floor care room

If stairs are too risky, a ground-floor room near a toilet is often the best step. Check: - Door widths for a walker, wheelchair or hospital bed. - Floor level: any step at the doorway needs a ramp or rail. - Light and ventilation, with damp-proofing as needed. - Distance and route to the toilet or bathroom; a commode may be needed. - A call method: a bell, phone or pendant. - A place for visitors so that your parent stays in the family's life, not shut away. - Waterlogging: in low-lying areas, find out whether the ground floor floods and keep equipment and medicines off the floor.

See setting up a care room in a joint family home, setting up a hospital bed at home and hospital bed electricity and power cuts.

Balconies, courtyards and roofs

Old houses often have balconies, courtyards and roof terraces where older residents sit. Check railings are sound, floors are dry and moss-free, steps have rails and chairs have arms; do not leave a person with memory loss alone on a roof; see garden, balcony and terrace safety.

Power cuts and storms

Sudden evening storms can cut power in summer. Keep a rechargeable emergency light at the stairs, a torch by the bed and a charged power bank for the pendant; see power cuts and older adults.

Alone at home

A parent alone needs a way to call and a way for help to enter: a pendant or watch, a key safe for a trusted neighbour, and a phone routine; see home safety for seniors living alone, panic pendant buying guide and key safe guide.

Common mistakes

• Putting a mat on a worn wooden or stone stair, where it slides.
• Fixing grab bars with plastic plugs into crumbling plaster.
• Using a single weak bulb on a long staircase.
• Leaving a night-time route that crosses wet floor.
• Putting a care room on a floor that floods without a plan.
• Letting a parent with memory loss near an open staircase.

A weekend checklist

1. Night walk and list of hazards. 2. Rails and anti-slip tape on the stairs; lights on each landing. 3. Mats and tape in the bathroom; grab bars at toilet and shower. 4. A commode or urinal on the bedroom floor. 5. Clear the floors; fix loose thresholds. 6. Test the pendant; write emergency numbers by the door.

For budget ideas, see home modification budget india.

A worked example: a night in an old house

Imagine a seventy-eight-year-old man whose bedroom is on the first floor and whose toilet is on the ground floor, down a steep staircase with a single weak bulb. At night he wakes, takes the stairs in the dark and misses the last, worn step. Now imagine the same house with a commode beside the bed, a rail on both sides of the staircase, tape on each tread and a motion light on every landing. The same man gets up, uses the commode and returns to sleep. The difference is small in cost and large in risk. Use this as a model for your own home, adjusted to your parent's needs and the house's layout.

When to ask a professional

Ask an occupational therapist to assess the house. Ask a builder or tradesperson to check walls and stairs and fit rails and bars. Ask a physiotherapist about balance and stair technique. Call 112 after a fall with injury, head blow or inability to get up.