Tip #7 Frugal Fixes: Surf's Up

     I love the fall. I love all things fall; pretty colours, crisp air, new beginnings, and hot chocolate outside on the deck. Yes, I do love the fall, BUT, I don't like to fall. Frankly I don't know many who do like to fall, unless it's from an airplane (which I'd actually like to do as well someday, but I digress....).
     Although falling is not my favourite thing to do, I seem to excel at it - especially when trying to get out of the bathtub when the tub is all wet. That's pretty tricky! If you have this problem too, allow me to suggest a few inexpensive things that may help. Note that there are some really great and functional solutions out there if you have the financial and physical ability to attain them, but that's a discussion for a future post. For now, we'll stay with the quick and inexpensive fixes.
     Oh, before we get any farther, let me remind you that you should never attempt anything without the consent of your physician or other appropriate team members. Not all fixes work the same for everyone or are appropriate for everyone. Now, disclaimer accounted for  - here are the tips in no particular order. Bare in mind that some of these may be more expensive than the "frugal" definition re this category, however, they are much less so compared to other bathing solutions.

• Ask your physical therapist or occupational therapist to work with you towards safe bathing solutions should you have access to either.
• Ask someone to put up bath rails  to hold on to
• Put a bath stool in the tub. I DON'T recommend the following; in a pinch, a sturdy plastic lawn chair has been used. But, without a tight fit and non-slip flat shower floors, things get more dangerous not less
• Get into the tub before turning on the water
• Try a handheld shower - they make things much easier!
• Use anti-slip bathtub coating. Just know that not every tub is eligible for this fix (porcelain vs. non-porcelain etc). 
• Cut a hole in the middle of a bath-towel, slip your head through it, and wear it like a poncho. This way, whoever is helping you out of the tub has a better grip (you're less slippery).
• If you can sit on the edge of the tub and swivel to get your legs in or out of the tub and vice versa, you may have less chance of falling than if you get in/out from a standing position.
• Many subscribe to using no slip mats in the tub, but I have seen many (myself included) fall if it slips... so (as with the rest of these tips) use with caution.
• The crazy solution? Surf Shoes,

     Yep, you heard me right; surf shoes. I know it sounds crazy, and truth be told, I am a little crazy. But crazy or not, an inexpensive pair of surf shoes seems like a good solution to me.  Amazon.com has a wide selection in a range of prices. I'm not sure how easy they are to get on and off with wet feet, but I am going to give it a try myself when I get the chance, and then I'll let you know how they worked.

    One last thing - do you know what I think of when I think of surfing? Balance. I'm no surf swami, but I've noticed that surfers have the ability to balance like few others; but they also work hard at it.  So, surf shoes will not be enough on their own - but neither will any of the other list items. Think about it, work at it, and employ good tools and techniques - all of these things will be helpful and improve your chance of staying upright whilst getting in and out of the tub. Like, isn't that gnarly?

Surf's up Dude,

Happy Bathing!