Falls Prevention Week: the three bathroom fixes, in order

The Journal · Bathroom · September 2026

Falls Prevention Awareness Week runs September 21–25. Most falls in older adults happen in the bathroom. Three fixes, in the order that matters.

It's the kind of campaign that's easy to scroll past until it's your mother, or your father-in-law, or you. The figure usually quoted from the National Institute on Aging is that about 80 percent of falls among older adults happen in the bathroom.

The reason is obvious once you say it out loud. A bathroom is the one room in the house where you're barefoot, on a hard surface, wet, sometimes with soap on the floor, often at night. Nothing else in the home combines all four.

A mat that actually stays put. The failure mode of cheap mats is that the suction cups let go after a few weeks, and a mat that slides is worse than no mat. The Secure Shower Mat has suction cups underneath, a textured top that grips wet feet, and drainage holes so water doesn't pool on it. The other thing that kills mats is mould underneath; this one lifts, rinses and dries in minutes, and the antibacterial surface is the point of it. It comes in two sizes, and the smaller one fits a standard tub floor.

A lot of bathroom falls are someone leaning to get a bottle off the tub edge or the floor. Getting the shampoo and body wash up to chest height on the wall removes the bend. The Aluma Curve Shower Caddy mounts with adhesive rather than screws, so nobody has to drill tile, and holds full-size bottles without sagging. Mount it where the person can reach it standing straight.

Most bathroom trips happen at night. A plug-in nightlight in the hall and another in the bathroom means nobody is crossing a wet floor in the dark or reaching for a switch with wet hands. It is the cheapest item on this list and the one most people skip.

A mat that arrives unexplained goes in a cupboard. A mat that arrives with “I saw this and thought of your shower” goes on the floor.

If you're buying for a parent, send it to their address and tell them it's coming. Ours ship tracked, and if the size is wrong it's an easy 30-day return.

Secure Shower Mat

Suction-cup base, textured top, drainage holes. Antibacterial surface.

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Aluma Curve Shower Caddy

Adhesive mount, no drilling. Holds full-size bottles at chest height.

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