Have you ever heard of an elderly person slipping and falling in the bathroom? Yes, maybe this incident is not something new because it happens often. The risk of elderly people slipping and falling in the toilet is very high, and can even be fatal. For example, it can trigger injury, paralysis, and even death.
Not only the elderly, but people of productive age are also at risk of slipping and falling in the bathroom if they are not careful. For this reason, bathroom cleanliness needs to be considered, especially if there are elderly family members.
Several factors can cause this. One of the main triggers is a decrease in balance function as a person ages. Plus, if the bathroom floor is very slippery.
Quoting Kompas.com, Primaya Hospital Bhakti Wara Internal Medicine Specialist, dr. Mauludi Rachmantya Tranggana, Sp.PD said that slipping and falling in the bathroom can be dangerous, depending on the position when a person falls. According to him, slipping and falling can cause sprains and fractures, especially in the elderly.
“As you get older, your bone density decreases. Especially if the person does not get adequate bone nutrition and does not exercise regularly during their productive age. When seniors slip, the chance of experiencing a broken bone is very high. "This can cause a decrease in the quality of life of the elderly," said Dr. Mauludi, as quoted from Kompas.com.
Dr. Mauludi added various factors can cause elderly people to easily slip and fall in the bathroom. Some of them are:
There are quite a lot of cases of elderly people dying in the bathroom after slipping and falling in the bathroom. Dr. Mauludi explained that this was mostly caused by complications from congenital diseases which also contributed.
“Elderly people who die in the bathroom are usually due to complications from existing comorbidities. "Generally, patients with a history of stroke faint in the bathroom and are not helped, resulting in extensive brain hemorrhage," said Dr. Mauludi.
If this happens to an elderly person in your house, the first thing you should do is call for help from someone close to you. Move the elderly person to a safe place to see if there are any serious injuries in the area where the fall occurred. If there is a possibility of a fracture, immediately bandage the part with a flat object, such as a board, to minimize bone movement. Avoid massaging severe bones to avoid making the condition worse.
To prevent this, make sure the elderly's bathroom is equipped with ideal and elderly-friendly sanitary equipment. Starting from using smart closets, smart sinks, shower sets specifically for the elderly and disabled, footrests or leg supports, chairs, and handrails to make the elderly's activities easier in the bathroom.
Hopefully, the information is useful, yes? Next, what else shall we discuss?
Author : Nathasya Elvira
