If someone asked you what the most dangerous room in a house was, what would your answer be? Most people would say the kitchen and it’s not difficult to see why. Think of all the potential dangers in the hub of your home! There’s the cooker for a start that reaches blistering temperatures. Then there are the sharp knives, bubbling pans; the list could go on and on. Your kitchen holds a lot of potential for doing some damage to yourself or others.
But guess what! It’s not the room you should be most wary of at all. That honour goes to the bathroom. Yes, the bathroom sees way more than it’s fair share of accidents. An American study has shown that more people come to harm in their bathroom than in any other room of the house. In 2008, for example, almost 22 million Americans aged 15 plus gained an injury in their smallest room. Around a quarter of a million of these had to be treated in emergency departments. The hardest hit group in the study were those over the age of sixty-five. The older subjects had the highest rate of injuries.
The biggest cause of bathroom accidents were falls. The problem with falling mainly onto a hard surface like a waterproof floor? It’s the risk of injuries such as hip fractures. Those over 65 had the highest amount of fractures and were found to be more likely to be hospitalized.
There are lots of ways accidents like these can be prevented. Making sure there is quality flooring and installing grab bars can reduce the amount of problems that happen in this environment.
Over 60% of homes in the US use mats in their tubs or non-slip strips, but less than twenty percent of households had a grab bar installed. They’re the perfect aid to help with balance.
As for flooring, non-slip tiles are another way to help reduce the likelihood of slips and trips. Tile Markets have an extensive range of options which won’t just help keep you safe; they’ll bring a new lease of life to your bathroom too.
Some other findings of the study make for interesting reading. Women tended to have 72% more chance of sustaining an injury in the bathroom. The majority of problems happened when the over 65’s get on or off the toilet. Grab bars by the toilet could be useful if things are getting difficult. If balance is becoming an issue for you or a loved one, there are exercises you can do to help maintain your posture. If you feel like you’re going to fall, try and catch your balance. You can do this by taking a few little steps. Try and find someone or something to grab hold of, and try to avoid falling onto either of your hips. Do try and drop and roll out of the fall rather than landing hard. It could help you avoid a painful injury. Falls can be potentially fatal, so make sure you have preventative measures in place.
