Bathroom Safety After Surgery

If your movement is limited during recovery, ask a family member or friend to help prepare your bathroom. This helps make it safer and more comfortable while you heal. Use the tips below as a guide. Know that some equipment you’ll need won’t be ordered until you’re ready to go home.

Bathroom safety tips

Try the following tips for staying safe:

Prevent slips and falls by using nonslip bathmats on your bathroom floor and in your tub or shower.
Watch out for hazards, such as wet floors.
Use grab bars in your shower or tub for support as you get in and out. Also have them by your toilet.
Install a hand-held shower hose.
Keep the soap and shampoo within reach
Sit on a bath bench or shower chair while you bathe.
Use a long-handled sponge to wash hard-to-reach areas.
If you had surgery that limits bending, use a commode chair or elevated toilet seat to raise the height of your toilet.
Talk with your occupational therapist if you need more instructions in using bath aids.