HME Business, August 2017

What’s Inside:
Software Interoperability & HME . . 16 News, Trends & Analysis . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mobility:FundingforPASH ........ 15 MarketingOrthopedics ........... 24 Broadening Compression Lineups . . 28 PortableOxygenRoundup ......... 30
The Bath Safety Rethink
Fixated on retail appeal, it can buoy your bottom line.
Providers Must
Reapproach
Bath Product
Safety Lineups
There can be no doubt that bath safety ranks as a pivotal product offering for any retail-minded provider. Bath safety items serve a pertinent safety need for a wide variety of large patient groups, such as seniors, those with mobility limitations and bariatric patients.
We know that more than 80 percent of home accidents occurring in the bathroom, according to the National Safety Council, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that preventing bathroom- related falls and subsequent injuries in older Americans is critical.
And providers have responded to the need. They know that besides the can’t-ignore retail sales opportunity, ensuring bathroom safety is a public health and safety concern where they can make a true difference in their clients’ lives. However, they might not be aware that the nature of bath safety products is changing in dramatic ways, and they must respond accordingly.
As the Baby Boom increasingly needs bath safety items, this consider- able age cohort is impacting how bath safety products look and feel. Items such as plain, bent metal grab bars are going the way of the Dodo, and what’s replacing them emphasizes a zeal for designer appeal. HMEB examines this evolutionary change, and how vendors and providers are addressing it.
Bath Safety Rethink . . . Page 21
August 2017 Volume 24, Number 8 hme-business.com