Ella's Bubbles White Paper:

Walk-In Tubs and Bathroom Safety for Senior Citizens

Introduction

One of the major threats to senior citizens at home is falling. Daily activities, such as bathing and moving through the household, that once were done without repercussion, now impose a serious threat. As adults age, not only does the severity of fall related complications increase but so does the likelihood of falling. One in three adults aged over 65 years fall at least once a year. By the time they reach 80 years or older that chance increases to one in two. 1-3 Worldwide, adults aged 70 years and older have higher fall-related mortality than those who are younger. 4

The consequences of falling have a serious impact on aging adults. The primary effect of falling includes fall related injuries, including fractures and head injuries. Also note post-fall anxiety that comes with aging.5-7 Such effects will lead to a loss of ability and independence, because of a fear of falling. In many cases, lack of mobility and independence are serious enough to result in hospitalization, nursing home admittance, or even premature death.8, 9 The United States of America alone in 2000 endured a total cost of fall related injuries for aging citizens of around exceeding $19 billion. This number is projected to grow to $43 billion by 2020. 10

Bathroom Safety

The bathroom poses a major threat to the safety of senior citizens. The bathroom is one of the most dangerous places in the homes of aging adults. The Home Safety Council reported that more than 170,000 emergency room visits per year are a result of bathtub and shower falls.11 It is no hidden fact that many seniors will forgo the luxury of a bath for a shower to avoid having to climb in and out of the bath tub. Even still, while showering these individuals still have the fear of slipping in the shower and resort to holding onto towel racks for support.

Walk-in bathtubs offer seniors the chance to bathe in safety and the comfort of getting to soak in a tub. Walk-in tubs, such as walk-in tubs from Ella’s Bubbles, offer a range of safety and comfort features.

Walk-in tubs work by providing a door to step into the bathtub as opposed to stepping into the tub. A watertight door seal will provide protection from water spills on the bathroom floor and easy access into the bathtub. Ella’s offers a limited lifetime warranty for the door to ensure quality of their product.

Safety and Comfort

Ella’s High End Acrylic Walk-In Bathtubs offer an easy access, low threshold stainless steel door with rounded bottom for easy foot access, a slip resistant textured floor to help prevent bathroom falls, and a safety hold bar to help bathers enter and exit the tub safely. Ella’s walk-in tubs are treated with an o-zone sterilization to kill bacteria and germs.

All these safety features are combined to create a safe bathing experience for senior citizens. Seniors can once again enjoy the luxury of a bath, and additionally enjoy the added benefit of seven therapeutic air massage jets, eight therapeutic hydro massage jets, and a deep tub for soaking comfort.

Ella’s makes their tubs from acrylic as opposed to fiberglass. An acrylic finish is easier to clean, scratch resistant, and has a nice glossy look that will hold its luster.

For More Information

For more on Ella's High End Acrylic Walk-In Bathtub:
Please visit www.ellasbubbles.com.

Download the White Paper Walk-In Tubs and Bathroom Safety for Senior Citizens

References

1. Blake AJ, Morgan K, Bendall MJ, Dallosso H, Ebrahim SB, Arie TH, et al. Falls by elderly people at home: prevalence and associated factors. Age Ageing 1988;17:365-72.
2. O'Loughlin JL, Robitaille Y, Boivin JF, Suissa S. Incidence of and risk factors for falls and injurious falls among the community-dwelling elderly. Am J Epidemiol 1993;137:342-54.
3. Tinetti ME, Speechley M, Ginter SP. Risk factors for falls among elderly persons living in the community. N Eng J Med 1988;319:17017.
4. Peden M, McGee K, Sharma G. The injury chart book: a graphical overview of the global burden of injuries . Geneva: World Health Organization, 2002.
5. Sattin RW, Lambert Huber DA, DeVito CA, Rodriguez JG, Ros A, Bacchelli S, et al. The incidence of fall injury events among the elderly in a defined population. Am J Epidemiol 1990;131:1028-37.
6. Nevitt MC, Cummings SR, Hudes ES. Risk factors for injurious falls: a prospective study. J Gerontol 1991;46:164-70.
7. Tinetti ME, Doucette J, Claus E, Marottoli R. Risk factors for serious injury during falls by older persons in the community. J Am Geriatr Soc 1995;43:1214-21.
8. Alexander BH, Rivara FP, Wolf ME. The cost and frequency of hospitalization for fallrelated injuries in older adults. Am J Public Health 1992;82:1020-3.
9. Dunn JE, Furner SE, Miles TP. Do falls predict institutionalization in older persons? An analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging. J Aging Health 1993;5:194-207.
10. 23 June 2008 < http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/fallcost.htm >.
11. 23 June 2008 < http://www.homesafetycouncil.org/resource_center/rc_huddles_p002.pdf>.

Helpful information about the tubs.

The acrylic walk-in tub finish is better then gel-coat fiberglass. Fiberglass tubs are easier to make and have spray painted surface. Our Acrylic tubs are made from high quality acrylic sheets, scratch resistant, easy to clean and have a nice glossy white look.

Why is Acrylic a better choice then Fiberglass?

Acrylic

• Acrylic is one of the most durable bath and shower materials on the market. With its strong acrylic surface and composite backing material, it's resistant to the rigors of everyday life -- no cracks, no chips.
• Acrylic requires less maintenance than any other bath material. Its non-porous surface makes cleaning with a non-abrasive cleanser simple and efficient.
• Acrylic retains its color and luster to remain in beautiful showroom condition, year after year. Because its color goes through the thickness of the material, it won't dull or fade.
• Acrylic tubs are warm to the touch. They're more relaxing, and they keep water warm for a long time.
• Acrylic gives you a quality bath material that's both beautiful and durable -- and you'd expect nothing less in your own home.

Fiberglass

• The other walk-in tub material available today is gel-coat fiberglass reinforced polyester, known simply as "fiberglass”.
• Fiberglass is lightweight and usually requires additional structural support.
• Gel-coat Fiberglass is extremely porous! Mold and mildew are tough to get out of the pores which makes for a less healthy bathing environment and requires vigorous scrubbing to keep clean.
• The gel-coat is sprayed onto the lower-quality polyester surface which is more susceptible to stains and tends to dull and yellow over a short period of time. So your new bathroom could look very old in a relatively short period of time.