At Home With Alzheimer's Disease

       Safety Precautions in the Bathroom

To protect the safety of people with Alzheimer's Disease in and around the home, and to ensure that they do not wander away and get lost or come to harm, the following precautions are suggested.

Keep pills out of reach, locked in a cupboard away from the bathroom (for example, in the pantry) or locked in the medicine cabinet.

Install a grab bar by both toilet and tub (or clamp a grip handle to side of tub).

Reinforce a grab bar by both toilet and tub (a grab bar is better).



<< Purchase a plasticized seat and a shower hose for bathing the AD person seated.

Slip-proof the bottom of the tub or use rubber mat.

Keep shampoo and other liquids out of the bathroom so that they cannot be swallowed.

Purchase a deep soap container so that the soap will not fall into the tub on the floor.



<< Stick contrasting coloured tape around the edge of the tub to help define its edges and depth.

Install non-skid flooring and tiles that contrast with the tub, if building or renovating a bathroom with AD in mind.

Use contrasting colours in the bathroom so that fixtures can stand out.

Install washable, rubber-backed bathroom carpeting to reduce chances of slipping on wet bathroom floor.

Always leave a night light on in the bathroom.



<< Rent a raised toilet seat.

Remove the lock from the bathroom door, so that the AD person cannot get locked in.

Do not put a waste paper basket in the bathroom (unless it is hidden in a vanity) because it may be confused with the shape of a toilet and used as one.

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