WASHROOM & BATHROOMS
THE WASHROOM CHALLENGE
The washroom should be a safe space – but it can represent multiple risks for the vulnerable and elderly. Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity, looks at ways of equipping the care home washroom to help keep residents safe.
Most of us consider the washroom to be a relatively safe space, but it can be a bewildering, even a frightening environment for a care home resident.
Bright lights, glaring white surfaces, noisy extractor fans and multiple mirrors – all of these will potentially confuse and disorientate someone who is elderly and vulnerable.
Bathrooms and washrooms can be physically dangerous environments, too. Smooth, shiny floors can quickly become a slipping hazard when wet while the hard porcelain fittings will be unforgiving in a fall.
Hot water can also represent a major risk to an elderly person who may not be able to climb out of an overheated bathtub quickly enough to avoid being scalded.
Washrooms can also be a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria, particularly when they are shared with other residents and are used by visitors as well. Care home residents are particularly vulnerable to infections, so this scenario needs to be avoided at all costs.
So, what can be done to ensure that the washrooms and bathrooms in care homes are as safe as possible for residents, while also being easy to use?
It is all too easy for a less dexterous person to scald themselves with hot water when trying to wash their hands using a traditional mixer tap. Thermostatic taps set at a controlled temperature will help to prevent scalds and burns. Pre-set valves that regulate water temperature will help to prevent the risk of scalding, and all thermostats and fittings should be regularly checked by an engineer.
Hand-grab rails are an invaluable aid to an elderly person when trying to navigate their way around a bathroom and will also help to prevent slips and falls. Strategically positioned spotlights focused on to the basin and toilet will also help users find these fixtures more easily. The mirrors should also be positioned carefully since these could confuse dementia sufferers. Small, unobtrusive mirrors work better than large ones in the care home - and the mirrors could even be removed altogether if this is considered more appropriate.
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Care home washrooms tend to have pastel-coloured walls to brighten up the surroundings. However, this can make it difficult for someone with poor sight to pinpoint where the soap and paper dispensers are because these will ‘disappear’ into the washroom décor if they happen to be the same colour as the walls.
Dispensers in a contrasting colour – such as Essity’s black Tork Elevation units – will make it easier for the resident to locate the dispensers on the wall.
Most washroom dispensers for toilet tissue, hand towels and soaps are designed to be easy to use for the general public. And products such as soſt conventional rolls of toilet paper and bar soaps are oſten supplied in care homes because these are a reassuring reminder of home.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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