Slippery Grip

Flooring
Rugs on a bathroom floor are great on cold mornings but are also dangerous because seniors can slip on them. "You basically need to get rid of them," says Alexis Abramson, owner and founder of Mature Smart, a company that provides consulting and products to boost seniors' safety.

Solutions: Eliminate scatter rugs, if possible. If not feasible, consider using adhesive "grip strips" to stop rugs from sliding. Carpeting the bathroom is an option, as is buying bathroom rugs with "no-slide" rubber backing.

Cost: A few dollars for grip strips or adhesive; about $15 each for rubber-backed rugs.

Shower/tub
Combine the slick, curved surface of a tub and a bar of slippery soap or a bottle of shampoo and you've got an accident waiting to happen. Seniors, who can be unsteady on their feet, risk bone-breaking falls every time they take a shower or bath. A fall is especially serious in the bathroom because there may be nothing for seniors to grab on to and the surface of a tub is unforgiving. Broken hips are the most common injury when seniors fall.

Solutions : Peel-and-stick adhesives provide needed traction in the tub or shower, as can no-slip bath mats. Grip bars give unsteady seniors something to hang on to but be sure they're installed by a carpenter or construction specialist so they can bear the weight of a falling adult, says Andrea Tannenbaum, president of Dynamic Living, a company that sells products for seniors and the disabled.

Cost : Less than $5 for adhesive decals. Suction-cup bath mats are about $20. Grip bars and installation hardware cost between $18 and $30.

Toilets
No one gives much thought to toilet seats, but the height of the standard "throne" is often too low for the comfort of mobility-impaired seniors. Seniors can have trouble achieving a sitting position and, once seated, could have trouble getting up.

Solutions: Available products include plastic booster seats with handles that raise the seat height several inches; and floor-to-ceiling tension poles that allows you to pull yourself upright.

Cost: About $40 for a booster seat; grip bars and handrails cost between $18 and $30; tension Poles start at about $150. These products can be found at most pharmacies and medical equipment suppliers.

Miscellaneous bathroom needs: People who suffer from arthritis often struggle with small tasks others can easily accomplish. A battle to open a bottle of shampoo or body wash in the shower can quickly turn from frustrating to dangerous. Similarly, being unable to adjust shower knobs can make for an uncomfortably tepid or scalding shower.

Solutions: Consider a wall-mounted dispenser for shampoo, conditioner and liquid soap. Replacing the showerhead with a hand-held unit gives the user more control, lessening the likelihood of burns or an icy blast of water.

Cost: Dispensers and replacement showerheads start at about $20 at mass merchandisers, home improvement stores and bathroom supply stores.