Last Updated on January 19, 2024 by Kimberly Crawford
There comes a time in everyone’s life when thinking about home safety more carefully is a must. While you are young and mobile, you take a lot of things for granted and you decorate your home to fit your style.
If there are elderly people in your family, though, then you also need to decorate to fit their needs. Fortunately, walk-in tubs are the best of both worlds, style, and safety, and you can read more on them here.
If you’ve recently been thinking about adding one of these to your home, then you must have started working towards improving the safety of the elderly. Whether it is you, or someone you love, you’ve understood the significance of making the home safer. And, you’ve understood the significance of starting with the bathroom.
You don’t want to jump towards making any purchases, though. Quite on the contrary, you want to do your homework before grabbing your wallet and giving your money away. What kind of homework, though?
The homework connected to understanding how it is that walk-in tubs are safe for the elderly. Sure, you understand the concept itself. And, a lot of people have probably been talking about its safety already, so you’ve heard a few things.
You can read about a few things here as well: https://www.angi.com/articles/pros-and-cons-walk-tubs.htm
Despite all of that, you may still not be sure which features increase the safety of these products. Which features make the walk-in tubs perfect for the elderly? That is precisely what we are here to find out. Below are the top 4 features that make these tubs safe for the elderly.
1. Grab Bars
Grab bars, coupled with non-slip flooring, make the process of going in and out of the tub quite easy. And, of course, safe. A great walk-in tub will come equipped with at least one set of grab bars, meaning you will automatically make the bathing process more secure for the older people in your family.
The risk of falls will be reduced due to this feature, which is certainly a big deal. Having something to grab onto while trying to enter the tub or go out of it is going to make the elderly feel not only more secure but also more independent, as they won’t need help with this. If you feel that there are not enough grab bars, you can always add some more.
2. Handrails
It’s a similar story with handrails. These help both while sitting and while standing, and they offer extra stability, thus reducing the risk of accidents.
All great affordable walk in tubs will have this feature, so you won’t have a hard time finding it. Handrails come integrated with the product, providing additional security and stability.
3. Low Step Entry
This is probably the most significant feature of these products. The low-step entry allows users to enter the tub without having to lift their legs. The feature is, thus, perfect for the elderly, and for anyone that has joint, muscle, and bone issues.
The low-step entry feature further improves safety. And, of course, independence. So, if you are worried about an elderly person in your home, this product could be right for them.
4. Accessibility
As you may have guessed it yourself already, accessibility is another important feature. If wondering whether walk-in tubs are worth it (find out more), you should undeniably consider this feature. Let me explain it.
Accessibility is a feature that provides easy transfer from the wheelchairs to the tub seat, and vice versa. This, once again, promotes not only safety but also independence. The convenience of being able to transfer easily from one seat to another is certainly a huge plus.
How to Get the Right Walk-in Tub?
Now that you’ve understood which features of these products promote safety, as well as independence, you probably have but one thing on your mind. Put simply, you want to understand how to exactly buy the right walk-in tub for your home. It can take time, but you will be able to find the right product, just as long as you do your research.
What should the research be focused on, though? Well, for starters, on the features of the tubs. Explore those and figure out which ones would be vital for you. Then, as every buying guide will tell you, such as the one at https://www.seniorliving.org/walk-in-tubs/, you will need to carefully select the suppliers.
Put differently, where you are buying matters quite a lot. So, take your time to research different suppliers, and check their experience, their reputation, as well as the costs of their products. By comparing all of the findings, you will be able to make the best choice and get the perfect walk-in tub for your home.
References:
- Lutz, A. (2024, January 5). Are Walk-In tubs worth it? (2024 guide). Architectural Digest. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/reviews/home-improvement/are-walk-in-tubs-worth-it
- Wikipedia contributors. (2023, December 17). Accessible bathtub. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessible_bathtub
- Mickelson, S. (2023, July 14). Pros and Cons of Walk-In Tubs: Are they worth it? Angi. https://www.angi.com/articles/pros-and-cons-walk-tubs.htm
- Shuman, T. (2023, February 27). A 2024 Walk-In Tub Buyers Guide. SeniorLiving.org. https://www.seniorliving.org/walk-in-tubs/