How To Prevent A Fall In The Bathtub

I broke my ankle a few months ago so I bought a chair for the bathtub to avoid standing on that ankle during a shower. I dawned on me this chair would brake a fall if I slip in the tub. It allows me to wash the bottom of my feet. It is also relaxing to just sit and let the water run over you. My next door neighbor died as a result of a fall in the tub. I am 75 and the bones ain't what they used to be

 

I have a shower attachment on the end of a metal hose that just replaces the shower head that is in the basic stall for when I decide to go this route. Good plan. I can remember when they had rubber hoses that fit on the spout of the tub.

 

Makes sense.
In any hospital I’ve been in the shower has a chair. There are also rails around the cubicle.
Seems like a secure place to shower, right.
Not according to the nurse who tells me she has to watch me shower in case I fall. She insisted with that requirement while I had a pee.
No way. How can a bloke pee with any sort of ease when a woman is watching?

you could always shower with someone. Saves water and you have someone to scrub your back.
And catch you if you fall.

 

We have had the bars in our tubs for years. Yesterday we had the bars put into the bathroom where we just moved. very old house and tub here is very narrow and deep. We both had been going down stairs to walk in shower since we have been here, It is colder down there in basement and still run risk of falling but all we could use until yesterday. A chair would not fit, so glad we can use the bars at least. I think bars should be in all bathrooms, not just older or handicapped people.

 

I have been considering a chair in the shower, but I also need to change the faucet plumbing. By that I mean , I would like the controls & the wand 'lower' . Mine are up-high on the right of the shower head , and my right shoulder will no longer permit me to reach that far. Stretching my left hand to reach it just adds to my instability .

I looked into one of those 'ultra-safe' showers ... extra bars etc, $12000.00

So I'm thinking, lower controls etc, and then a chair ? And of course a non-slip mat.

Anyone looked into a walk-in shower/tub combination ?

 

We had this shower installed when they were building the carriage house we now live in.



Being still spry, I don't use it but the day may come when I will

 

We just lost an acquaintance to a “fall”. He actually got faint and just “sat down” onto the floor pretty hard. Totally bizarre that it killed him. He didn’t even hit his head. Anyway, we spend our lives walking, it’s just a natural thing to do. So we employ that skill throughout our lives but as we get older, our strength and balance are slowly deteriorating and we don’t really compensate the way we should, because we KNOW how to walk. Falls happen because of the insidious deterioration of our bodies. We all need to be hyper aware of the possibility.

 

We are coming up on 30 years in our current home and the master bath could use a complete redo. Soooooo expensive though. I would love a complete wet room conversion but if not that, at least a tub in shower kind of arrangement. That master bath really needs updating before we eventually sell (if we do).

 

My current shower has 'seats' similar to that in the photo. The problem is , I am 6'1" about 230, and the corner seat is just not 'deep' enough . Once I'm wet, I keep slipping off. I have to sit with my legs in a constant 'push-back' to stay on.

I seriously doubt I can get smaller , my prime weight was [years back] in the 210-220 range, so being up 10-20 pounds is about where I'll be. Frankly, I'm lucky to maintain that, particularly considering that pain keeps me from doing just about any activity/exercise.

Yeah I know .... whiny Willie .... but facts are as they are.

 

Good idea, we do have handle and it is very helpful getting in and out. A chair may be a good idea too.