I think it would be really hard on the feet, yes. This is what I've ordered from Amazon. Haven't installed them yet. Hopefully, they'll work.
Thanks Jaspurr. Stick-ons work well. I think you will like them if they are as good as they used to be. I have some stick-on strips in the bottom of the shower now that have been there for 30 years. They are getting worn and the strips are a little too narrow and far apart. I will probably just get new ones.
Cool. I'm currently using a good-quality rubber mat. It stays in place really well, but I'm sick of cleaning the mold around the suction cups. It's a pain in the butt. Hopefully, the strips will be the solution.
I have some safety things in place in my bathroom but things still can happen. Having fallen four times in the past five years (twice in the ice and snow) and once on a slippery kitchen floor of sorts, I got injuries that healed fortunately but still the concern about gosh what about the next time...... I have had one concussion from falling and hitting my head by tripping over an item at another's home, that resulted in a head concussion, and it was scary. That took a bit of time to heal up from and I'd sprained my back, hip and shoulder, a whole lot of bruising and of course discomfort for some time. Now I think that should be it for my lifetime but will it be....
This article that was on our news last night , it was about Judo teacher studies being carried out with seniors teaching how to fall safely without breaking hips
A caution about bathmats: If you use one, make sure it has many suction cups. DO NOT leave it in the tub. Mold will develop under it & it will be even more slippery than without it. I had to take mine outside & clean off mold, even when I hung it up to dry after each shower. After a recent tub to shower conversion, I specified non-slip tile. But even that requires being careful when soap makes it slippery.
Yep I use a moisturising shower gel and I’ve noticed the floor is slippery after each shower We have a bath tub but never use it cause he has his bathroom ( the main BR) he uses , and I have the ensuite . My work for 30 years involved working with people with disabilities so I was well educated on loose mats of any description in the home not just bathrooms ..they are trip hazards and are one the main causes of tripping / falling in the home I buy good quality bath mats for stepping into when getting out of shower , once any mats start curling on corners they need to be binned .
My remodel included a seat so I can clean my feet safely while sitting down with a hand-held sprayer. Before getting up, I make sure there is no soap on my feet or the shower floor.
What could be a more pertinent topic on a senior forum than “falling”? It could happen to anyone at any age as I know personally having taken many a tumble. As a senior though, a bad fall could have more serious consequences. When done fishing yesterday, I started climbing up the bank to get back to the car as I had done 101 times, but this time stopped to pick up an unusual rock. I transferred everything I was carrying to one hand; bent to pick up the rock; lost my balance and rolled down the hill a couple of times. I ripped two patches of skin off the left hand and bruised my left thigh. Patched myself up when I got home and luckily any pain went away overnight but not from my bruised ego. I hate using “a wake-up call” but I can’t escape it. Think before you act.
Last year I was getting something out of my utility trailer as I had many times before. It has a step on either side of each wheel (forward and rear of it.) When the trailer is attached to my truck, it is secured. When it is not attached to my truck and you step behind the wheel, the thing pivots on the axle and the rear slams down throwing you (I guess I mean "me") off. My leg scraped against the license plate bracket, scraped a bunch of skin off, and left a huge green, black and purple bruise from my knee all the way up my thigh, about 4" across. After I patched myself up, I built a stand to put under the rear when it's parked (not that I think I'll do it again.) I used to be in better shape. This isn't a balance issue, I think it's [lack of] muscle tone. It's so cliché.
Last week a good friend of mine was looking to buy a new car. She was walking up to the dealership showroom and totally missed the step-up curb. She "face-planted" without even putting her arms out to break the fall. They took her to the Urgent Care where she got stitches in her eyebrow. She is 64 so not exactly "elderly," but she does have balance issues.
@Beth Gallagher - oh no..least it not too bad, could have been way worse. My walking has improved a lot, but still use cane outside and out in stores. Just for my peace of mind. Very fearful of falling.
Agree, and it happens so easily, doing things we’ve done 1,000 times before. I had posted this story about someone we knew who had what seemed to be the most innocent of falls. http://seniorsonly.club/threads/the-elderly-and-falling.22409/#post-666925
When we were unloading stuff on our first day of moving into our apartment, my wife didn't see the concrete parking block that was in front of the sidewalk (to prevent folks from parking over the sidewalk) and tripped. There is one in front of each parking spot. Anyway, she fell. Bent her fairly new glasses some, but I was able to straighten them out. Also, scrapped her knee, which is now healed. IOW, scared the heck out of me! At our old Colorado apartment complex, there wasn't any of those concrete parking blocks.
I have had a number of falls, the most serious being the fall from the roof . Ice is a big hazard here and is the cause of most senior falls. Many a hip has been broken when falling on the ice, especially in the dark. In some areas here the winds combines with the ice and the dark to create a truly hazardous environment for the elderly. Ice cleats on the shoes and boot do a lot to mitigate the risk.