Elders and Bathrooms and a Few Precautions You Can Take

Revised ....
Always try to keep elder in their familiar surroundings and if for some reason you have to put them in strange settings don't ever leave them alone and unsupervised.

Clara liked to read a lot and she knew that 60% of debilitating falls occurred in the home, she knew that most falls occurred while getting in and out of a bathtub and she always avoided them, until she was out in a situation where she was forced to fend for herself under the veil of sedatives and in a hotel room not equipped for elder guests.

An elders bed should always be equipped with bed rails , don't wait until they fall to do this, as a simple fall for you or I could have un needed consequences for an elder person who depends on you to keep them safe just as you depended on them to keep you safe when you were a young child , the floor itself can be covered with a heavy carpet, and rails can be installed on the walls to make it easier for them to climb in and out .

A few precautions can go a long ways to make your house safer for your elders.

In our home the only tub in the house was removed and a shower installed instead in order to make safer for us and for our parents.

In my parents case we took every precaution , we just could not believe that a member of our own family would serve as the catalyst for their downfall and hasten Dr. Fernandez death and Clara's incapacitation.

Trust NO one when it comes to the care of your elders, NOT even your own family as a simple interest can turn into a nightmare of un forseen and un imaginable proportions. Be very weary of family members that come out of the wood work and express an un usual interest in the elder care during their later years, especially when their metal powers start to decline, that kind of help usually comes with string attached and a very heavy price to pay.

Florida Statutes 709.8 that states :

"Guardianships are used as a last resort for persons who did not plan ahead for
incompetence. 14 Fla.Prac., Elder Law § 9:16 (2007 ed.). Fla.Stat. §
744.331(6)(b) requires a court to determine if less restrictive means are
available.

However keep in mind that attorneys, family or other interested parties can mis represent the truth to the courts and this could seriously hamper your ability to remain by your elder till as long as possible

This space is where Clara now bathes, where a bathtub used to be, it's very easy for her to get in and out and makes it easier for her caregivers to bathe her everyday.