In Italy, but not only in Italy, the population tends to age year after year as a consequence of the low rate of new births, which leads the percentage of elderly people to increase year after year. According to ISTAT, as of 1 January 2019, there were 13.8 million people over the age of 65, up 2.5 per cent from the previous figure in 2009, when there were 12 million elderly people and they made up 20.3 per cent of the Italian population(source: ISTAT).
The bathroom can turn into a dangerous environment without the right aids for the elderly
The problem, therefore, is that more and more elderly people are living at home alone, preserving an independence to which they are entitled until late in life. Rather than a problem, one could say that this trend is entirely positive, were it not for the risks to which the home inevitably exposes a person whose mobility and reflexes are not those of a young person. The bathroom is perhaps the most risky environment due to the presence of water and protruding objects with sharp corners.
There are many occasions when an elderly person or a person with reduced mobility is at home alone, perhaps locked in the bathroom, facing a moment of difficulty. Perhaps simply standing up or getting out of the bathtub, or getting out of the shower without slipping. Not to mention, a not insignificant problem, that it is often the elderly person who somehow refuses the adoption of specific aids and tools, because they suddenly see a familiar environment, which still retains a certain intimacy, turn into an aseptic one. Hence the refusal to equip the bathroom with specific aids or accessories for the elderly.
How to remedy by securing the bathroom
One solution to this problem is to equip the bathroom with the right accessories that make the elderly or people with motor problems feel at ease, without distorting a functional environment such as the bathroom. Idral has long specialised in accessories and aids for the elderly, which can make an intimate moment such as showering safer and more comfortable, for example.
A grab bar to lean on when standing up, or a seat to make oneself comfortable in the shower, can make all the difference, because they do not disrupt the functionality of the bathroom and add a considerable level of safety. The same applies to reinforced grab bars for showers, or grab bars to make it easier to get up from the toilet. These are all accessories that do not differ significantly from the classic ones, but provide the person in difficulty with a secure hold in case of need.
An important aspect: the ability to improve quality of life
Sanitary aids for the elderly are ideal for hospitals and nursing homes, but they are also increasingly being installed in private homes because they make life more comfortable and peaceful even in the bathroom.
The sanitary aids designed and manufactured by Idral are robust, made with the purpose for which they are intended in mind: safety first. The grab bars are modern and pleasing to the eye. So are the seats and support bars.
In this way, an environment such as the bathroom can be made safe, enabling older people to continue to maintain their independence and thus a high quality of life.