Bathroom Fall Prevention in Denver-Area Homes

The numbers, from the CDC

Not every fall happens in a bathroom, but bathing and toileting involve exactly the movements that challenge balance: stepping up and over, turning in a small space, sitting down and standing up, all on a surface that may be wet. Falling is not an inevitable part of aging, and the CDC emphasizes that many falls are preventable.

What the NIA recommends for the bathroom

The National Institute on Aging's room-by-room guidance for the bathroom is short and practical:

• Install grab bars by the toilet, and on both the inside and the outside of the tub or shower.
• Use nonskid strips, mats or carpet wherever the floor can get wet.
• Leave a light on in the bathroom at night, or use a night light that turns on automatically in the dark.

The CDC also notes that home modifications such as grab bars, combined with changes recommended by an occupational therapist, have been shown in research reviews to reduce falls among older adults.

A bathroom checklist

Getting in and out of the bath

• Can the bather get in without stepping over a high tub wall? A standard tub wall is a big step for many people. A walk-in tub, a low-threshold shower or a roll-in shower removes it.
• Is there something solid to hold at every step: before entering, while turning, while sitting, while standing?
• Is there a seat so washing can be done sitting down?
• Is the handheld shower reachable from the seat?

Grab bars, done properly

• Bars should be anchored into wall framing or with anchors rated for grab bars, by someone who knows how. Towel bars are not grab bars and will pull out.
• Avoid suction-cup handles for weight-bearing; they can release.
• Put bars where the bather actually reaches. Watch them get in and out of the current tub and notice where their hands go.

Floors and lighting

• A slip-resistant tub or shower floor, and a bath mat with a rubber backing outside it.
• No loose throw rugs on the way to the bathroom.
• A clear, lit path from the bed to the toilet for nighttime trips.
• A light switch reachable from the doorway.

Water and temperature

• Anti-scald protection, or a water heater set to a safe temperature, matters for anyone with reduced sensation in the feet.
• A way to sit while the water warms, rather than standing on a wet floor.

Toilet

• A comfort-height toilet or a raised seat, plus a grab bar or a toilet safety frame.
• Toilet paper within reach without twisting.

Nighttime trips

Many bathroom falls happen at night, when a person is drowsy, the house is dark and the trip is hurried. Plug-in motion night lights along the hallway, a bedside lamp that is easy to reach, and a clear floor between the bed and the toilet all help. If the bathroom is far from the bedroom or up a flight of stairs, a bedside commode for nighttime use is worth discussing with the person's doctor or therapist.

Beyond the bathroom: the CDC's bigger picture

Home changes help most when combined with the other things the CDC's STEADI initiative recommends to older adults:

1. Talk to a health care provider about falls, including any you have already had, and ask for a fall risk check.
2. Review medicines with a doctor or pharmacist. Some medicines, or combinations, cause dizziness or drowsiness.
3. Do strength and balance exercises. Evidence-based programs such as A Matter of Balance, which Thornton's Active Adult Center has offered free to adults 55 and older, are run by several Denver-area senior and recreation centers.
4. Have your eyes checked regularly and update glasses.
5. Make the home safer, starting with the bathroom and stairs.

Several Denver-metro recreation districts and senior centers run fall prevention workshops and balance classes. Our local resources page lists them by city.

When to change the tub or shower itself

Grab bars and mats are a good start, but they do not change the fundamental problem with a standard tub: stepping over a wall roughly 14 to 15 inches high, then lowering yourself to the floor of the tub. Signs it may be time to change the fixture itself:

• The bather has stopped taking baths, or showers less often, because it feels risky.
• Someone has had a near-miss or a fall getting in or out.
• A caregiver now has to help with every bath.
• A doctor or occupational therapist has recommended it.
• A surgery such as a hip or knee replacement is coming up, and recovery will make stepping over a tub wall difficult.

Our comparison guide helps decide between a walk-in tub, a walk-in shower and a roll-in shower.

Safety questions

Last reviewed 2026-10-10.