Wet tiles are one of the most common places older people fall at home. Most slippery floors can be made much safer with minor modifications – you often don't need a new bathroom. Our AHPRA-registered occupational therapists work out where you're most likely to slip, recommend the right solution for each spot, and help you fund it through Support at Home.
Smooth or glossy tiles lose most of their grip when wet, and soap, shampoo and body wash make it worse. Our OTs look at the person as well as the floor: balance, walking aids, footwear, vision, continence and how you move in and out of the shower all affect where a slip is most likely.
Onto the main bathroom floor, where you don't expect it.
Balancing on one foot on a wet surface.
Mats that slide or curl at the edges.
Night-time trips to the toilet and continence issues that leave floors wet.
In South East Queensland, patios, entries and outdoor steps get slippery after storms.
Non-slip treatment works best where your feet are actually wet and you're moving or turning. These are the high-risk zones our OTs assess.
The whole standing area, including around the drain where water and soap pool.
The first step out, where wet feet meet the floor and you turn for a towel.
Where you stand, turn and sit – especially if continence is a concern.
Where water drips from hands and the sink.
Getting in and out, and inside the bath base.
A non-slip strip on the front edge of each step, ideally in a contrasting colour.
Outdoor surfaces that get wet in the rain.
When we recommend a product or treatment, we ask the supplier for its slip test results, so you know exactly what grip you're getting when the floor is wet.
Professionally applied to increase grip without replacing tiles. Usually invisible, though it can slightly dull a glossy finish. Needs the right cleaning products to keep working.
A textured coating over tiles or concrete. Useful for patios, entries, ramps and some bathroom floors.
Adhesive strips for shower bases, bath bases and step edges. Low-cost, but must be replaced when worn or lifting, as a lifted edge becomes a trip hazard.
Safety vinyl may be recommended where tiles are damaged or a treatment won't give enough grip.
Rubber-backed mats at the shower exit and suction mats in the bath or shower. A cheap first step, but they need lifting and drying, and mats that slide or curl cause trips.
A well-fitted screen or curtain, a collapsible water dam and a handheld shower all reduce water on the main floor.
Grab rails at the shower and toilet, a shower chair so you can wash seated, sensor night lights, and lever taps. If a step-over hob or bath is the main problem, removing it may be a larger modification, which we refer to one of our OTs trained in complex home modifications.
Non-slip surfacing is covered under the Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, funded separately from your quarterly Support at Home budget.
AT-HM funding tiers (up to), generally available for 12 months.
No AT-HM approval yet? Ask your care partner, or call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 to request a reassessment. An OT report helps support approval.
Your care partner refers through our website. We respond within one business day and usually see new clients within 2–3 weeks.
We watch how you use your bathroom, check floor surfaces, lighting and water spread, and talk through any falls or near-misses.
You and your care partner receive a written report with the recommended treatment or product for each zone, plus a quote for follow-up OT time.
Once approved, we work with your care partner's preferred supplier or tradesperson so the right product goes in the right place.
We check the result with you, show you how to keep treated surfaces working, and photograph the work as confirmation of delivery for your provider.
Yes. Non-slip materials for floors and stairs, and floor coverings, are on the AT-HM list as home modifications that need a health professional's prescription. They're funded from your AT-HM allocation, separate from your quarterly budget.
For non-slip floor treatments and floor coverings, the AT-HM list requires a health professional's prescription. An OT also makes sure the treatment goes where you're actually at risk.
The shower floor, the shower exit zone, in front of the toilet and vanity, bath step-in points, and the front edge of any steps.
Industry guidance generally recommends at least P3 under AS 4586 for bathroom and shower floors when wet.
They can be, if they're rubber-backed, lie flat and are lifted and dried regularly. Mats that slide or curl at the edges are a trip hazard. Your OT can advise what's safest for you.
Usually not. A professionally applied non-slip treatment can make existing tiles much safer when wet.
Ask your Support at Home care partner to refer you, or call us on 07 5220 8909.
To book an appointment with an occupational therapist, please call 07 5220 8909 or submit a referral form below.
General Practitioners can send referrals to:
Email: hello@forbes.care
Fax: 07 5302 6482
Address: Shop 15/102 Burnett St, Buderim
Forbes Care and all those that dwell within, acknowledge the traditional Custodians of the land, the Gubbi Gubbi people, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Forbes Care welcomes all peoples who identify as LGBTQIA+, and those with other diverse genders and sexualities.
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