Stepping over a tub wall onto a slippery surface and falling is a significant fear of many older adults, especially if  your loved one is pretty deconditioned.

A good option is a tub transfer bench, of which two legs fit inside the tub and two legs fit outside the tub. To use this device, your loved one backs up to the seat, and rather than step over the side of the tub, which is a high fall risk, they remain seated and swings their legs over into the tub.

There are many options, and I have included a few depending on the mobility level of your loved one.

You may be wondering how to keep the water from going over your bathroom and being baptized yourself when assisting your loved one when they are seated on one of these tub transfer benches and bathing.  I have found in clinical practice the best way to do this is to pull the curtain across the tub wall as you usually would but as you go over the seat itself, make an inside fold across the seat to replicate a gutter for the water to channel through and not all over the floor.

Remember to adjust the seat height of either the tub transfer bench or shower chair so that your loved one, when seated, have their hips are slightly higher than their knees; it will be much easier and less physically demanding for a person to come from sitting to stand. If you have shower doors, they are usually an obstacle as they limit how much space you have available to conduct your transfer. It is ideal if they are removed and replaced with a shower curtain.

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CLICK HERE TO ORDER SLIDING SEAT TUB TRANSFER BENCH 

If you have a walk in shower then the use of a shower chair may work well .

Remember to adjust the seat height of either the tub transfer bench or shower chair so that your loved one, when seated, have their hips are slightly higher than their knees; it will be much easier and less physically demanding for a person to come from sitting to stand. If you have shower doors, they are usually an obstacle as they limit how much space you have available to conduct your transfer. It is ideal if they are removed and replaced with a shower curtain.

Clink on this link to order Shower Chair with Arms 

GRAB BARS

I also recommend grab bars. Note that I said grab bars and not towel bars. Towel bars are not secure enough to hold onto to take the weight of a person. Depending on the surface of the tub or shower wall, you could use the suction cup vacuum type shown here. Be very aware that you must check this every time you use it to ensure it is secure. Preferably you would use the permanently installed type of grab bar. 

Typically the installation from contractors when they build a bathroom grab bars are placed inside the tub or shower and not very useful to transition in and out of the shower or tub where the highest fall risk occurs. I have found that my client stays safe and stable by having a grab bar placed vertically at approximately elbow height at the transition (step over) from the bathroom floor to the tub shower floor. Imagine facing the wall with the grab bar directly vertically mounted in front of you to hold on as you transition your feet from one floor to the other. You use one step to get in and a half step inside to make room for the other foot and finally bring the other foot inside. You use the same procedure is for exiting the tub. I find that mounting the grab bar in a vertical position allows for a good grasp even if a person has difficulty using their hands and arms. Keeping it in elbow height is ideal when considering future-proofing an environment, and down the road, that person may not have good use of their shoulders to reach a bar that is too high.

 Additionally, horizontal mounted grab bars along the tub or shower surround walls are also a great idea.