Bathroom safety tips

In the bathroom:

• Install a shower chair and grab bars. Place grab bars near the toilet, near the bathtub and in the shower. A hand-held shower head also might be useful.
• Address slippery surfaces. Place nonskid strips or a mat in the bathtub and shower. Unless the bathroom is carpeted, place nonskid strips on the floor near the bathtub, shower, toilet and sink, too.
• Use a faucet cover in the bathtub. A foam rubber faucet cover can help prevent serious injury if the person with dementia falls in the bathtub.
• Lock up potentially hazardous products or electrical appliances. Install childproof latches on cabinets and drawers to limit access to potentially dangerous items. Use child-restraint caps on medication containers.
• Reduce water temperature. Set the thermostat on your hot water heater to below 120 F (48.9 C).
• Remove door locks. Consider removing locks from the bathroom doors to prevent the person from accidentally locking himself or herself in.