My mother is 93 in wheelchair with limited eyesight. The bathroom she uses has shower doors right next to toilet. The shower doors have been in 8 years and now need adjusting. I am thinking of replacing with rod and curtain. It is a step in shower no tub. My friend says to fix doors as if she grabs curtain she will fall. I am afraid she will fall thru doors. Any advice on how to make it safer for her?
How long did it take to get yours fixed? And did you use a local contractor or see it advertised on TV?
A real grab bar for safety purposes should be installed by a professional. So as not to get confused and grab the shower door towel bars, a shower curtain would make sense.
FYI, my grandmother once lost her balance in the bathroom and fell against mirrored closet doors. They shattered. Luckily, she did not get cut. That could happen with less expensive glass doors.
Mirrors cannot be tempered and thus can break into dangerous large pieces. I've worked in the construction industry for over two decades, have seen breaks of both tempered and not. No manufacturer would skip the law and not have tempered glass in a shower or normal door... they would be sued to Hell and back.
#1 Shower chair/seat
#2 Grab bars
#3 A shower curtain is a big NO
#4 Hand held wand in shower
#5 Suggest one-step body wash bottle in lieu of bar of soap as elder could drop the slippery bar of soap.
I would opt for the curtain. (get one of the rods that has a curve to it so there is more room.) BUT..I would get a shower bench so that she can transfer from the chair to the bench and not have to stand. Stepping into a tub is dangerous and getting out more so since you would be wet and slippery.
If it is at all possible look into getting the tub changed to a Zero entrance shower so she can use a shower wheelchair and roll right into the shower.
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