Daily HealthBeat Tip

Slips and slides in the tub

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Older Americans can be injured just by not being safe while they’re bathing. But they can easily avoid being hurt.

A study finds seniors who are alone and who have trouble getting into and out of the tub or shower have the greatest risk. More than 70 percent relied on things such as a glass door or a tub seat to get in or out, which is unsafe.

The University of Michigan's Susan Murphy:

"Bathing is the first family living activity that people start to lose their independence. I think people don't really think about it, because it's so routine, to look at what are they actually using as supports, and are those things designed to hold weight." (12 seconds)

The study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: November 3, 2006

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