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Patients and Caregivers

Glaucoma

Living With Visual Difficulties

Bathroom
up to top Cabinet Light Switch Bath and Shower Hanging Towel Night-Light Soap and Shampoo Towel Rack Pill Containers, Egg Carton or Muffin Tin Rubber Mats and Carpeting Bathmat Tiles and Fixtures
The bathroom's safety challenges include slipperiness and glare.

Wet slippery surfaces, hard objects and reflected glare from porcelain, tile and metal combine to make the bathroom a serious hazard zone for slips and falls.

Bath and Shower
  • Attach grab bars to the side of the tub or walls, or firmly attach extra towel racks in the bathtub and shower for support while entering and leaving these areas.

  • Place tape in a contrasting color along the edge of the bathtub to help identify it.

  • Beware of bath oils, which may make the tub floor particularly slippery.

Rubber Mats and Carpeting
  • Use rubber mats or other non-skid materials to avoid slipping in the shower and bathtub or on wet tiles.

  • Use contrasting colors, such as a dark mat in a white tub or shower stall, or vice versa, to help with orientation.

  • Install carpeting to prevent slipping on wet tiles.

Night-Light
  • Place a night-light in the bathroom as well as one in the bedroom to facilitate nocturnal visits. If required, add another one along the route.

Light Switch
  • Connect timers to activate light switches.

  • Use a dimmer switch to avoid sudden glare.

  • Use light switches of contrasting colors to make them stand out from the walls. Install luminescent switches or place a strip of colored tape on the switch.

Tiles and Fixtures Good organization is important so that the right item can be located as needed.
  • Avoid bright or busy patterns, which may cause eyestrain.

  • Choose wood or plastic fixtures over highly reflective metal surfaces, which may cause glare problems.

Hanging Towel
  • Select towels that contrast in color with the surrounding walls, tiles and fixtures. This will make them easier to locate.

  • To help identify the bathtub, drape a towel or bath mat in a contrasting color over the edge.

Soap and Shampoo
  • Select soap and shampoo in colors that contrast with the walls, tiles and fixtures, so that these items are easier to locate.

  • Use soap on a string and leave it hanging permanently on the showerhead for convenient access.

Towel Rack
  • Wood and plastic do not reflect glare and are preferable to shiny metal racks.

Bathroom Mat
  • Select mats that contrast in color with the walls or floor tiles.

  • Use mats with rubber or other non-skid bottoms to prevent slipping.

Cabinet
  • Keep cabinet doors closed when not in use to avoid collisions. Cover edges with padding or colored tape. Consider changing to sliding doors.

  • Paint the cabinet doors in colors that contrast with the walls.

  • Paint or attach tape to cabinet door handles in colors that contrast with the doors, so that they will be more visible.

  • Organize cosmetic and medicine containers using a marking system.

  • Separate medications from each other and from non-medicinal items. Place painkillers, antacids and vitamin supplements on different shelves or in different rooms; for example, vitamins in kitchen and aspirin in bathroom.

  • Try using large-print labels on tape or tags attached with rubber bands. Rubber bands or colored tape can be used alone to distinguish one container from another. For example, put one rubber band or green tape on the vitamin A bottle, and two rubber bands or red tape on the vitamin C bottle
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This site is for residents of Canada. / This site was updated on October 26, 2011.