Arthritis, back pain or breathing problems might make the shower an ordeal, and one problem that we don't need is a slippery shower surface.
Even if you use a bath chair, you still have to stand up on the tub surface, and a slippery surface can cause falls.
Conventional bath mats sometimes don't help because:
* The mat itself can still be slippery.
* The mats can move on the tub floor.
* They don't cover the entire tub surface.
Suction cups on bath mats only work if the mat is placed on a dry surface.
There are mats that solve all these problems.
One is a no-skid cushioned vinyl mat from Briggs Healthcare. At 40 inches long, it provides more coverage of the tub floor. Drainage holes throughout the surface make it useful even in showers with a center drain. Many small suction cups prevent the mat from moving. You can order the Briggs Healthcare mat for about $30 from many medical supply companies.
The Gorilla Grip shower stall mat solves the problem of suction cups that don't stick to the floor once water gets underneath them. This mat has 324 small suction cups distributed over the 21 inch by 21 inch surface. Get two for full tub coverage. About $20 on Amazon.com.
On textured tub surfaces, bath mats with suction cups are sometimes unreliable. But one mat from Refinished Bath Solutions solves this problem by using reverse suction cups. When you stand on the mat, the pressure pushes the raised rings on the mat down and prevents slides. Made of heavy natural rubber, the mat measures 30 inches long and 16 inches wide, and usually retails for less than $50 on Amazon.