Slips and falls in the bathroom

Count what is within arm's reach of the toilet: the basin, a stool, the edge of the bath. In a space this small a person turning round has little room, and a stool that can slide on a wet floor is one more thing to catch a foot. Test your own room by standing where a person stands to turn and sit. Is there something fixed to hold, and room to move without bumping furniture? If not, ask for a needs assessment: in England it is free from council social services³.

A curtain moves, and so does the rail it hangs from, so neither is a handhold. Someone who loses balance reaches for the nearest thing; make sure that is a fixed rail and not a curtain or a towel hook. Look at the floor as well: wet tiles under the curtain, and a step over the bath edge to get beneath it. Where a person's weight depends on a rail, the wall and fixings matter and fitting is for a professional: see where grab rails go.

If someone uses a frame, ask whether it can come into the bathroom, and whether it fits beside the toilet and through the door. Ball feet may slide on a dry floor, and a wet bathroom floor behaves differently, so ask whoever supplied the frame whether it suits that floor. In England, equipment is free if an assessment says it is needed³. The NHS also lists balance and strength exercises at least twice a week, and shoes or slippers with grip¹. Don't swap one walking aid for another without advice.

Clutter turns a quick reach into a lean. Bottles at the back of the basin make a person stretch over the tap, and one knock sends things to the floor, where they become hazards of their own. Clear the basin down to what is used daily and put the rest where it can be reached without leaning. The single lever is in its favour: the NHS lists easy-to-turn tap handles among equipment that helps³. Check the floor beneath for lids, tubes and towels too; the NHS advice is to clear clutter¹.