Hard surfaces, water, and not much room to catch yourself. That combination is why the bathroom is the room worth fixing first, and a good part of it costs nothing at all.

Here is the order I would go in, from least expensive up.

Start free, today

  • Clear the floor of bath mats that slide or bunch, and anything underfoot.
  • Move soap, shampoo, and a towel to within easy reach, so there’s no leaning or twisting.
  • Add light. A simple plug-in night light removes the dark, half-awake trip that causes so many falls.

The most important purchase

If you buy one thing, make it a safe place to sit and wash. A shower transfer bench turns the riskiest moment of a shower, standing and balancing on a slick surface, into sitting down. A bench with two legs outside the tub and two inside also removes the step over the tub wall. Measure first, though: a transfer bench needs a tub to straddle and room beside it, so it’s the wrong buy for a narrow walk-in shower stall. A plain shower chair is the answer there.

Make washing easier

  • A bidet attachment cuts down on the reaching and twisting that can cause a fall. Most fit a standard toilet without a plumber. Basic models run on cold water only, which is a shock in winter. Warm-water versions need an outlet within reach of the toilet, and plenty of bathrooms don’t have one.
  • A no-rinse shampoo cap makes hair washing possible on days when a full shower is too much.
  • A long-handled lotion applicator lets someone reach their own back and legs without straining.

About grab bars

Grab bars beside the toilet and in the shower help a lot, as long as they’re mounted properly. Anchor them into wall studs or use hardware rated for the load. Never rely on a towel bar or a cheap suction handle as a grab bar, because neither is built to hold a person’s weight, and a bar that gives way causes the exact fall you were trying to prevent.

Put it together

If you would rather get the bench as part of a set, the Fall prevention kit pairs it with night lights, a bed rail, and a gait belt.

This isn’t medical advice. If balance or weakness is behind the falls, it’s worth talking to a doctor or physical therapist about the cause.