In 2002, my life took an unexpected turn. One day, my Mother fell in the tub and broke her hip. I was not prepared for the downward spiral my Mother’s health went through following that fall. The hip injury set in motion what I now know to be a very common pattern of health problems that directly led to her dying in a nursing home in 2004.
I firmly believe the common sense law: Knowledge is Power! For me, helping an elderly or mobility challenged person live and bathe safely at home was simply a scenario I had not looked at closely enough. I didn’t have the necessary knowledge, until that is… it was too late for my Mom.
However, my 89 year old Dad made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of ever going into a nursing home. So, my challenge became “how do I help him age safely in his home for the rest of his life?” I had a new mission, and a deep personal passion for resolving this question.
I found very little help out there. Almost none! After three years of extensive research and study, I believe it is fair to say that I am one of the most experienced safety and aging in place consultants working with the elderly and their families in the United States. In pursuing my passion to help my Father, I traveled all over the US. I even went to Europe and Canada. I invested thousands of dollars and over 3,000 hours of my personal time interviewing seniors, their grown children and their caregivers; and researching ALL the products and technologies available.
Then… I wrote the book: “The Ultimate Guide to Bathroom Safety for Seniors.” To get my FREE Walk-in Bathtub Checklist, CLICK HERE: http://TinyWebLink-001.com/?pid=4327468
As supported by a recent report from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), here is what I found to be most important for everyone to know:
- 1 in 6 Americans over 65 fell in the past three months, 30% of those were injured
- 65% of all hospital admissions for people over 65 are due to fall related injuries
- up to 80% of all people in nursing homes are there due to complications stemming from a fall related injury.
- the bathroom, and traditional bathtubs and showers accounted for most of these falls.
And here is a real kicker, if you stop to reflect on the implication:
- According to the Journal of the American Medical Association… seeking medical care is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.!
Bottom line… avoiding injury is vital to living healthy and long, and your bathroom is the most dangerous room in your home!
I discovered that walk-in and slide-in bathtubs offered the greatest hope for helping seniors, and their children, find a solution to keep them living and bathing safely in their homes as long as possible. I decided to help get the word out about these Amazing technologies - walk-in and slide-in bathtubs. These products were the obvious first step about which to educate consumers.
So, how did I learn about walk-in and slide-in bathtubs?
I study every walk-in bathtub I can find, including tubs that are manufactured in China, Canada, and Europe. For every tub I investigate, I ask: How are they made? What works and what doesn’t? Why? What are the different issues resolved by the different styles of tubs? Are they ADA complaint, certified? Does that matter? What is the difference in all the tubs on the internet? How long until there are problems?
George E. Bentley, Esq. is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, and known nationally as the "Consumer's Advocate and Attorney." They can be reached by email at George@BentleyBaths.com or phone at 800-688-0055. The company website is
http://www.BentleyBaths.com.
