The first three bathroom changes I recommend
A short, opinionated piece on grab bars, lighting, and one rug you should throw away tonight.
Most falls in older adults happen at home, and most of those happen in the bathroom. After almost two decades of in-home assessments across Ontario, three changes earn their keep more than any other.
1. Grab bars where you actually grab
Not the towel rack. Not the soap dish. A real, code-rated grab bar mounted into the studs — one inside the shower and one beside the toilet at sit-to-stand height. The cost is under $100. The skill is in the placement; that's where an OT visit earns back its fee.
2. Lighting at the path, not the ceiling
The overhead light isn't what helps at 3 a.m. A motion-activated path light plugged into a hallway outlet is. Three to a home, usually. Less than $40.
3. The bath mat with the rubber backing that's curling up
Throw it out tonight. Replace with a non-slip silicone mat or, better, a fixed grip-tape strip inside the tub. Cheap. Fast. Boring. Effective.
If you do nothing else this month, do these three.