How to Equip a Bathroom for an Arthritis Sufferer
Staying safe in your own home when you have arthritis requires some planning and forethought. If you want to equip your bathroom for yourself or someone else who is an arthritis sufferer, you should invest in a few specially designed devices to help make this often hazardous room in the house safe again.
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Things You'll Need
- Treads
- Door knob cover
- Bath chair
- Rails
- Raised toilet seat
- Toilet paper tongs
Instructions
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Stay Safe in the Bathroom
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Start improving your bathroom for an arthritis sufferer by installing an easy-to-grip doorknob or doorknob cover. Some designs may slip over your existing doorknob, giving the arthritis sufferer a larger surface area to grip.
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Add treads or textured surfaces to your bathroom floor, as well as to the floor of your tub or shower. Since the bathroom is often a slippery environment, these treads can help mitigate the danger of slipping and injuring arthritic joints.
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Look for an elevated toilet seat to reduce the amount of bending at the knees you need to do to sit down. These seats may be available at your local accommodation store or through a home-improvement store in your neighborhood.
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Install support rails in areas where the arthritis sufferer will need to sit or stand for long periods of time. Placed on either side of the toilet and along at least one wall of the bathtub or shower stall, these rails can help prevent further injury or inflammation of the knees or hips by lessening the amount of weight placed upon them when sitting down or getting in or out of the tub area.
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Use a bath or shower seat when you are in the bath area to reduce the risk of falling. This seat also eliminates the need to get all the way in and out of the tub while bathing, reducing the amount of pressure placed on joints throughout the legs, back and arms.
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Choose bath accessories such as sponges, brushes or loofahs that are easy to pick up. Those with larger handles are ideal to equip a bath for an arthritis sufferer.
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Equip the bathroom with specialty products such as toilet paper tongs or a towel reacher which will eliminate the need to pinch the fingers together to pick up small objects.
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Tips & Warnings
Talk to your doctor about working with an occupational therapist if your disability from arthritis interferes with your capability to perform everyday tasks.
