It is my understanding that the little rubber ducky or sunflower stick-on’s do a pretty good job. If I look at my own life correctly, I think I have created a contrariness that I can’t really figure out. I never ice skated because I do not like falling down but yet, I roller skated without fear. Maybe it was just an ice versus a hard floor thing. I use a bath mat because I don’t wish to slip and fall but I don’t avoid a wet floor. I don’t avoid ladders or heights and enjoyed jumping from several thousand feet in the air but I watch the ground every time I walk to avoid tripping over a root or a hump…or a twig. *My heavens, I caught myself watching the sidewalk closely the other day fearing to trip over a crack and making myself feel like a fool*. Still, there are cracks between the mats on the floor at the gym but I pay no attention at all to them. I do not wear shoes that tie any longer because I do not like to wonder if my shoes are untied thereby giving cause to trip over my laces but I do not mind traversing through my shop where one can find cords laying all over the place. (also reference the twig thing) I sorta give a disapproving grunt every time my Apple Watch asks me if I fell but yet, I like having the app…..just in case.
I have said this before, but I believe that living in a 2-story house and going up and down the stairs many times a day keeps my leg muscles toned. I have not had any balance issues yet. Our master bath shower is separate from the tub and in its own enclosure with a low "threshold" to step in. I never feel insecure in the shower. It also has a textured floor. If I get to the point where I don't feel safe standing to shower I'll buy a shower stool and sit under the water. I'm not going without my shower and washing my hair; not gonna happen.
My worst fall in recent years occurred when getting on my bike. I fell and hit my elbow on a concrete driveway. It hurt a lot and led to what is called Popeye elbow. A doctor would call it elbow bursitis. Soon I had a big lump on my left elbow, about the size of a small apple. I asked my chiropractor about it and he said not to worry. It would dissolve in a few weeks or months. It did go away as predicted. The elbow is fine now. More recently, I gave up riding my bike because I often feel lightheaded and I’m worried about falling. No falls lately but my brain fog is driving me nuts and a risk factor in falling. I’m not sure what is causing the brain fog, but it sucks. Does anyone experience brain fog and do you have any suggestions for how to reduce it?
I don't know about the need for more regulations, but I fell while taking a shower in a concrete shower at our ambulance station and came down on the concrete lip (threshold) of the shower right on my upper back. At first, I couldn't move and I feared for a moment that I was paralyzed. Then, I realized that it was the pain that was keeping me from moving, so I got up and didn't say anything about it. It wasn't like I could sue anyone since I was a co-owner. Over the rest of the day, it seemed to be getting progressively better, with less pain. However, I woke up the next morning unable to get out of bed or even turn over. I simply couldn't do that bend that was necessary to bring myself upright. I lived alone so it was a helpless feeling. Finally, I was able to slide myself over, falling onto the floor and, after a bit of therapeutic cussing, I was able to get up, and things loosened up after moving around, and eventually got better. But my back hurt for over a week. I wasn't a senior then. It annoys me when I worry about getting up on a stepladder, especially the upper step, but I do.
I had a very bad fall on a bike, quit riding for a few years, finally traded in the bikes for recumbent trikes. I was on a slight down hill grade, approaching the intersection to our neighborhood. I saw a car approaching from the other direction and wanted to be sure to turn right into my neighborhood before he reached the intersection. It was a gradual enough turn that I decided to take it at speed. Apparently there was sand in the intersection. The bike went out from under me fast and I remember hitting the pavement on my right side. Apparently I then bounced up and over the bike and hit the median curb. I don’t remember that part but some motorist had, quite obviously, stopped and come over and was propping me up, asking if I was OK. I was a bit fuzzy, my right hip hurt like crazy and my right arm, from elbow to palm looked like raw hamburger. Too late, I learned that those gloves people wear while riding bikes are more than for grip and comfort. My arm was not as bad as it looked, eventually healed up fine. My right hip bone developed a huge lump that very slowly, over months, became minimal but there is still a trace of it. I had my house keys in that side pocket and apparently landed right on them. My bike had bent crank set, bent handle bar and bent fork. Had to walk it home.
Bathmat in tub is critical for showering. I never fell until my body has been so changed with hip job.....my balance issues SUCK...
Yvonne’s balance is always in question which is why I installed the bars and yes, we always have extra bath mats.
My balance is so bad compared to what it used to be. I studied martial arts for many years and my balance and coordination were excellent as a result. It’s very disheartening to realize where I am now. It’s mainly due to lower back damage and resultant weakness and partial numbness in mostly my left leg.
I'm way past handrails and more mats, I could NOT manuver in a step down tub which is mine with shower head, and I heard some yrs back of a couple helping a woman take a shower and they dropped her...No way, I know where I don't belong.i
I've purchased so many bathroom carpets over the years that claim to be "non-slip," They work for a while, but eventually start sliding around when you step on them. I've bought all kinds of expensive two-sided tape that also seems to hold only temporarily. Or it sticks to floor and not the carpet. That was the case with the last tape I bought. Didn't stick to the carpet, but it held solid the floor. When I tried to remove it, the darn floor tiles came up with it! Hubby was not pleased. He had to re-grout the tiles. Ugh. One day I was browsing in our local dollar store and in the kitchen section came across rolls of that rubbery, "waffle-weave" stuff that you use to line cabinets. I wondered if it would work for my carpet, so I picked up a roll. Lo and behold, it did! And was really inexpensive. I was proud to discover this hack! I've also purchased many rubber shower mats with suction cups, but they are a pain in the butt because they get moldy so quickly. They should really be removed and hung up somewhere after each shower, but we have no place to do that in our bathroom. I recently saw some stick-on strips on Amazon that have pretty good reviews, so I'll give those a try. Ugh. Such a bother trying to keep safe.
@John Brunner we look after a friends cat( 18 month old kitten ) and she sways as she walks due to some brain damage and at that home she has a habit of sitting or greeting you at the low er level of the house / combined kitchen / family room step …..I’m very cautious to check where she is when stepping down the single step cause she appears from nowhere
There are rubber bathmats for tub that work good and then there for floor mats that claim to be non skid and the last one I bought skids all over the floor, need to be mindful of those floor mats.....Rubbermade has produced them for many yrs, maybe they sold out to China too.
I'm glad I stumbled across (no pun intended) the solution for the floor mat. Try it out if you can find what I've described.
YES .. and a bar would be even better . with a bar or two you can balance yourself better when washing bottom of feet. Plus if yiu feel yourself start to slip you have something to hold on to.
My Humana Advantage plan offers bath safety mats and bars as part of our OTC allowance, so we have gotten our bath mats from Humana and just order a new one when we needed it. I also got one of the little shower seats, so that when I need to wash something that I can’t do standing (like lifting a foot), I can use the seat to sit in the shower . Mostly, I do not use it, but at least I have it for when my body is not cooperative.