Making a Lucknow Home Safe: Bathroom, Bedroom and Stairs

Start with a night walk

Carry a torch and walk the route from bed to toilet, kitchen and front door at your parent's pace. Notice steps, floor surfaces, light, clutter and cold spots. Ask where they feel unsteady. See falls risk assessment at home, occupational therapy home assessment and ageing in place room by room.

Courtyards, steps and thresholds

• Rails beside steps and at the edges of the courtyard where there is a drop.
• Anti-slip tape or coating on steps and the paving near doors, especially in the monsoon; clear moss and puddles; see anti-slip tape and coatings and garden, balcony and terrace safety.
• Contrast marking on step edges, and light at every level change; see lighting and contrast at home.
• Thresholds: mark them, add a rail and use a ramp where a walker or wheelchair is needed; see portable ramps for thresholds and stairs, steps and thresholds.
• Level the paving and fix loose tiles.
• Keep a chair with arms at a sunny spot for winter, away from the edge of steps.

The bathroom

• Floors: ribbed, rubber-backed mats where feet land, anti-slip tape or coating on tile, and a wiper to dry after use; 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; check old walls; 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; see shower chair buying guide and handheld shower guide.
• Toilet: a raised seat or frame; see raised toilet seat guide and toilet frame guide; for Indian-style toilets see indian style toilet to western conversion.
• Winter bathing: a cold bathroom stiffens and chills. Warm it safely, bathe in the warmest part of the day, keep water warm but not scalding and dry quickly; see hot water and scald safety for older skin.
• Gas geysers: never use a gas geyser in a closed bathroom; ventilation is essential; see safe use of heaters and geysers.
• Calling for help: a door that opens from outside and a pendant worn while bathing; 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.
• Cold mornings: sit on the bed's edge for a minute before standing, keep warm socks and slippers with grip by the bed; cold raises blood pressure and may cause dizziness; see dizziness when standing.
• Warm bedding: layered quilts, a cap for sleeping if needed and a warm room; see cold weather warmth hot packs and layers.
• Night route: a motion-activated night light from bed to toilet and a lamp within reach; see motion night lights for seniors and bedroom setup for night safety.
• Bedside commode or urinal on cold nights, so that no one crosses a cold courtyard or climbs stairs; see bedside commode and urinal routines and night time toilet trips and falls.
• Clear floors: remove loose rugs and cables; see flooring, rugs and trip hazards.
• Hospital bed: if needed, check doors, thresholds and sockets and plan backup; see hospital bed at home guide and hospital bed electricity and power cuts.

Stairs

• Rails on both sides and tape on every tread; old stairs are worn and uneven.
• Light: bright, glare-free bulbs at top and bottom with switches at both ends.
• Clear steps.
• A rest point, such as a chair on a landing.
• Gates for a person with memory loss; see wandering and dementia safety and door sensor guide.
• Move life downstairs if stairs are risky, particularly in winter fog and cold; see ground floor vs upper floor living.
• Technique: a physiotherapist can teach stair use with a stick; see using a walking stick on stairs and slopes.
• Flats: check lift reliability and backup; see lifts and apartment living for seniors.

Safe heating and carbon monoxide

This is the most serious winter safety issue. - Never use charcoal, coal, wood or dung-cake fires, or an unvented gas heater, in a closed room. They release carbon monoxide, which is invisible and has no smell. - Use only a heater with a tip-over cut-off, on a stable surface, away from bedding, curtains and the walking route. - Never sleep with a burning heater in a sealed room. Ventilate, and turn heaters off when sleeping unless they are designed for it. - Do not dry clothes on a heater, or leave it unattended. - Warning signs of carbon monoxide: headache, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness and confusion, particularly when several people in a room feel unwell. Move everyone into fresh air, open doors and windows, turn off the source and call 112, even if people feel better outside. - Prefer layers, warm bedding and a hot pack used carefully to overheating a room; see hot pack safety for older skin. - Install a carbon monoxide alarm where gas or charcoal is used, and test it; see smoke and gas safety for older adults and cold weather health risks for seniors.

Living with the family

Lucknow households centre on their elders, which is a strength. - Share the night routine: who checks, who helps with the toilet and who calls the doctor. - Keep your parent in family life: a warm room near the centre of the house, not an isolated corner. - Use a single medicine list and organiser; see pill organiser guide. - Plan for the hours the household is out: a pendant, a key safe for a neighbour and a phone routine; see home safety for seniors living alone, panic pendant buying guide and key safe guide. - Fog and roads: in thick fog, avoid unnecessary journeys, and keep a plan for emergencies; see ambulance and emergency numbers in india.

Power cuts

Summer outages darken stairs and stop fans; winter outages stop heaters. Keep a rechargeable light near the stairs, a torch by the bed and a charged power bank for the pendant; see power cuts and older adults.

Common mistakes

• A charcoal heater in a closed bedroom.
• Mats that slide on worn steps.
• Courtyard steps with no light or rail.
• A single bulb on a long staircase.
• Fitting grab bars into crumbling plaster without checking.
• Sending an older relative out in thick fog.

A weekend checklist

1. Night walk with a torch; list the hazards. 2. Rails and tape on steps and stairs; light at every level change. 3. Mats and tape in the bathroom; grab bars at toilet and shower. 4. A night light from bed to toilet; a commode or urinal for cold nights. 5. Check every heater and ventilation; buy a cut-off model if needed. 6. Test the pendant; write emergency numbers by the door.

For budget ideas, see home modification budget india.

When to ask a professional

Ask an occupational therapist for a home assessment. Ask a builder or tradesperson to check old walls, stairs and paving and fit rails and bars. Ask a physiotherapist about balance and stairs. Ask an electrician or gas supplier to check heaters and geysers. Call 112 after a fall with injury, head blow or inability to get up, or for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.