Bathroom safety is key

Safety first, second and third are the three priorities we have as we get older, which can happen all of a sudden — we work, we become parents, and then suddenly we are 55. Wow, who ever thought this would happen so quickly? Here are a couple of statistics that every senior needs to know:

• Ninety-eight percent of all injuries to seniors happen from falls of one kind or another. Be it a broken leg, ankle or arm, or a sprained back, most are due to a fall, slip or trip.

• More interestingly, 72 percent of all falls happen in the bathroom, but not just anywhere in the bathroom, it happens while getting in or out of the bathtub. The main reason is that water and soap combined equals a slippery mishap.

So what can we do to prevent the inevitable? We need to make our bathrooms safe by getting rid of that darn tub. While most people say, “But I love to soak in the tub,” we have to take on a different attitude. As seniors, we have to consider a full and comfortable last-third of our lives. By making the bathroom a safe place, we avoid accidents waiting to happen. Here are a few tips to having a safe environment: change the tub to a walk-in shower, put in a stable permanent seat or some handlebars, and to avoid making it look like a care home, keep the place neat, clean, attractive and safe.

You can find all this at Tropical Wholesale on 1351 S. Beretania St. The company specializes in tub to shower conversions that look good at a reasonable price. The units are virtually maintenance free and the job can happen in two to three days.

Save the quality of life for your grandchildren, trips or for those golf or bowling games you have the time for now. Enjoy a full life that you and your ohana deserve. Take the time to visit Tropical Wholesale at its showroom and get the valuable ideas you need to not be a statistic. It’s open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call the company at 593-2000.