Staying clean can get more challenging with age. This is frustrating, as many seniors want to maintain their independence. Shower accessories for seniors can help bridge the gap. These tools make showering easier, safer, and much less frustrating.
Using tools like this can seem like giving up, but that’s not the case at all.
After all, aging changes how our bodies function. We don’t work quite as well as we once did and adjustments need to be made. Using the right tools makes everything better, while keeping seniors independent for longer.
Top Tools and Shower Accessories for Seniors
Excellent Towels and Bathrobes
While showers themselves are warming, it’s easy to get cold after the shower, in that time when you are still unclothed and wet.
This is a particular issue for seniors, as people tend to get cold faster as they age.
High-quality towels help to get them dry and warm quickly. Larger towels are particularly helpful, including the bath towel size. This way the senior can fully wrap themselves in the towel if they need to.
The ideal is for the senior to get dry quickly and then straight into warm clothes. But, this mightn’t always be an option. If it’s not, a warm bathrobe and some slippers make it much easier to stay warm.
Shower Caps
Damp hair makes it harder for seniors to get warm again after a shower. Their hair doesn’t need washing every day anyway, so why not use a shower cap?
A shower cap not only keeps their hair dry, but also means one less thing for them to wash in the shower.
Some seniors might find it easier to have their hair washed separately than the rest of them. You might be able to do so in a basin once a week or so.
Long Handled Brushes
Age often comes with a decrease in flexibility and an increase in pain. That combination makes keeping clean much more difficult.
Long handled brushes help a lot by increasing the senior’s range of motion.
You can find regular long handled brushes in the store. But, they’re not the only style. For example, this brush has a distinct U-bend. The design makes it easy for seniors to wash their backs, even with a very limited range of motion.
Bent brushes like this are often rigid. As a result, they don’t work well for all body shapes. An alternative is a back scrubber like this. The style takes a little more work to use, but is more versatile than a rigid brush.
Shower Stools
Shower stools are one of the best places to begin. These are simply seats that go in the shower, giving the senior the chance to sit rather than stand.
Some seniors may sit the entire time, while others may only use the seat occasionally.
The idea is powerful, as seniors struggle to stand for the duration of a shower. It’s also easy to slip, especially when they’re focused on keeping themselves clean.
Let’s face it, most of us have slipped or almost slipped in the shower at least once. Doing so when you’re young isn’t a big deal, but falls are much more serious for seniors. Some seniors never fully regain their confidence after a fall, even if they recover physically.
There are many styles of shower stools out there. The best one for you will depend on a few factors:
- Size. Will the stool physically fit in your shower? Is there enough room to move around it with ease? Also, is it large enough for the senior to sit on comfortably?
- Weight and bulkiness. How easy is the stool to move? If the bathroom is shared, you might need to move the stool in and out of the shower regularly. Is this practical?
- The height. The stool needs to be tall enough that the senior can get up and down from it with ease. Many products are adjustable, but some aren’t.
- The material. Shower stools are often made from plastic, as they’re designed to be comfortable and have low risk of growing mold. Wood is sometimes used too, which can give you a stool that looks nicer.
Our Favorites
Dr Kay’s Adjustable Height Bath and Shower Chair. While this chair has a clinical look, it has all the features you need. It adjusts from 12.5” to 18.5” and supports up to 350 lbs. The seat is larger than a regular stool and is bowed for comfort. It’s also lightweight with handles on the sides to make it easy to maneuver.
Platinum Health Bath Bench. This product has many of the features of the previous one, including adjustable seat height and being lightweight. This time, the weight limit is around 310 lbs. The chair also has a bright blue cushion. This makes it more comfortable to use and helps the stool to stand out against the background (reducing the risk of tripping over it). There are handles too, which can help the senior to get up and down.
Zhuoyue Bamboo Spa Bath Shower Stool. This stool doesn’t have as many features as the previous two. It isn’t even adjustable. But, it looks good – like a piece of furniture, rather than medical equipment. This can be a critical distinction for seniors who don’t like the idea of relying on a shower stool.
Handheld Shower Sprayer
With a handheld shower sprayer, seniors can basically move the water to where they want it, rather than moving themselves. This is particularly important if they’re showering seated rather than standing up.
Transfer Benches
If you have a shower-bath setup, you might look for transfer benches instead. These are an alternative to the senior stepping over the lip of the bath.
There are two styles for these benches.
One involves a solid bench, where the senior slides themselves along, perhaps with your assistance (like this one). These are quite robust and are often resilient.
Other products follow a glide style, where the seat can be moved from one side of the bench to another, like the version in the video below (which can be found here). This style is more expensive but is helpful for seniors with limited mobility.
Bathmats
When we talk about shower accessories for seniors, it’s easy to focus on the big products or the unusual things. But, the commonplace ones are important too – including bathmats.
The right mats in your bathroom can dramatically reduce the risk of slips.
It’s important to choose well though, as the wrong ones can increase the risk of slips instead.
Mats for Outside the Shower
These mats are simple and common, so it’s easy to miss their importance. They soak up some of the drips as your loved one comes out of the shower. This means less water on the floor and a decreased risk of slipping.
Many mats come with a rubber backing to help them stay where you put them. Some may use suction cups instead.
The mat may work well enough when it’s dry, but many of them start skidding around in the damp.
There are a few tricks you can use, especially if your bathroom mats don’t have a rubber backing. Using shelf liner or Velcro can work surprisingly well.
Mats For Inside the Shower
Other mats go inside your shower (or bath) instead. These are just as important, as the base of the shower gets slippery and easily leads to falls.
Most such mats use suction cups and work well.
But, it’s important to check the reviews and carefully follow the instructions when putting these mats in place. Also remember that they will get less effective over time and may need to be replaced.
The other crucial thing is cleaning. These mats can get moldy fast, so you need to keep an eye on things.
If your caregiving situation is hectic, it might be best to have multiple bathmats, so you can swap them out when needed.
You can also find strips that go on the bottom of a shower or a bath. These add texture and reduce the risk of slipping too, but are much less cumbersome than a full bathmat.
Nice Bathing Supplies
Don’t forget about the consumables used when showering either, like shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and soap.
These all help to elevate the experience, making it luxurious and enjoyable.
Seniors are often on a fixed income, so they might only be able to afford cheap products. Others may be too budget-conscious to splurge on bath supplies. So, why not do it for them? Products like this make fantastic gifts.
Grab Bars
We can’t talk about seniors and bathrooms without mentioning grab bars.
These are the go-to adaptation for the home. They’re powerful too, giving seniors something that helps to steady them. Well-installed bars can even be a source of leverage, making it easier for the senior to get up.
There’s one big catch, though – the bars must be installed well.
You’ll normally need a professional to do this, as the material behind the wall makes a huge difference. In particular, the bars need to be installed onto studs. This sometimes involves buying longer bars than you want or installing them at unexpected angles.
Make sure the bars are fit for function too.
So, if the senior is going to put all their weight on the bar, it needs to be very well secured. Otherwise, the bar might give out right when the senior needs it the most.
Suction grab bars seem like an easy solution, as they just stick onto the wall. If you follow the instructions carefully, the bars can be helpful, especially if the senior mostly uses them for steadying, rather than weight bearing.
However, the bars aren’t as good as they seem. They lose suction over time and can easily cause accidents.
They should only be used if you follow the instructions precisely and test the bar each time before use. Even then, it might be best to avoid the bars entirely.
A Foot Scrubber
Cleaning your feet in the shower is always a bit tricky. It becomes even more so as seniors age and find bending increasingly difficult.
A simple tool like this Vive Foot Scrubber can make all the difference.
Medical Alert Buttons
Medical alert buttons are particularly important for seniors who live alone.
Without them, there’s a risk that a fall could go undetected for hours or even longer. Many products are even water resistant, so the senior can wear them in the shower.
If your parent is resistant to this idea, try talking about how much it helps you. After all, there’s peace in mind in knowing that your loved one is protected.
For Special Circumstances – Shower Commodes
Shower commode chairs are designed for seniors who struggle to stand for long periods. Most have wheels, making it easy to move the senior from one room to another.
They have two main features. The first is an open seat, which allows them to be placed over a toilet. Some can also have a pan fitted, allowing them to function as a full commode as well.
The other feature is that they’re waterproof. These chairs are designed to go in the shower. The open seat is helpful here too, making it easier for the senior to clean themselves while seated.
Showering with a commode is a very different experience than showering without one. The process may take time to get used to.
Final Thoughts
Most people won’t need all the shower accessories for seniors that we’ve highlighted here. But, these tools and accessories all have their place.
Remember too that needs change over time. So, seniors that can safely use a shower now may face more challenges in the future.
Some of these accessories, like shower caps, long handled brushes, and non-slip stickers don’t have to wait until they’re absolutely essential. Why not start using them now, so the senior gets used to them before the need arises.
Grab bars too.
These aren’t just tools for seniors. They reduce the risk of falls for anyone in the bathroom.
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