How to Help Someone In and Out of the Bath Safely

You are a home care worker in Galway on a morning call, and your client has asked for a bath instead of the usual strip wash. Or you are looking after your mother in Waterford, and last week she sat down in the bath and could not get back up. Either way you are standing over a slippery tub, wondering how to help someone out of the bath without hurting them or yourself. The short answer: never lift a person out of a bath. Drain the water first, keep them warm, and let them do as much of the movement as they can with verbal prompts, using a bath board, bath lift or hoist wherever they cannot manage on their own. Leaning over the side of a bath to take someone's weight is one of the riskiest manual handling tasks in any care setting.

Why Is Helping Someone In and Out of the Bath So Risky?

Bathing combines almost every risk factor listed in Schedule 3 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007. The side of the bath keeps you at arm's length, so any weight you take is held far from your body. You have to stoop and twist to reach the person, the floor is wet, the room is often small and warm, and there is nothing solid for you to brace against. The person is wet and hard to grip, and many older people tire in warm water, so they have less strength getting out than getting in.

For the person being helped, the danger is a fall. Stepping over a bath side on one leg is a balance test that many older adults and people with disabilities cannot pass safely, and the bathroom is one of the most common places for falls at home.

How Do You Help Someone Get Into the Bath Safely?

The safest way in is seated, not standing. A bath board that sits across the rim, used with a bath seat or bath lift inside, removes the need to step over the side at all.

Prepare the room first. Run the bath before the person comes in, and check the temperature with a bath thermometer or your elbow. Put a non-slip mat inside the bath and a dry mat on the floor, and have towels and clothes within reach so you are not leaving them alone.
Sit on the board. The person stands with the back of their legs against the bath board, reaches back for it, and sits down on the edge, just as they would sit on a chair.
Bring the legs over. They shuffle back along the board and bring their legs over the side one at a time. Support the leg under the calf if needed, but do not lift it for them if they can manage.
Lower in stages. If they can safely lower themselves onto a bath seat, they do so while holding the grab rail. If they cannot, a powered bath lift or hoist should do the lowering, not you.

Keep your feet apart and move with the person rather than reaching and twisting from one spot. Explain each step before it happens.

How Do You Help Someone Get Out of the Bath?

Getting out is harder than getting in, because the person is tired, wet and sitting low. Start by pulling the plug and letting all the water drain away while they are still sitting. The person will feel heavier once the water is gone, because they lose its buoyancy, but they can no longer slip under the water and you both have a clearer view of their footing. Put a towel over their shoulders to keep them warm while it drains.

If the person has a bath lift or bath seat, raise them back to the level of the board, then reverse the entry: legs out one at a time, shuffle to the edge of the board, feet flat on the mat, and stand using the grab rail. If there is no equipment and the person has reasonable strength, you can talk them through getting onto their hands and knees, facing the taps, holding the bath side, and bringing one foot forward to stand. Your role is to prompt, steady and guard. You should not be pulling on their arms or hooking under their armpits, which can injure their shoulders and puts your own back at severe risk.

What Should You Do If Someone Is Stuck in the Bath?

If a person cannot get out of the bath, do not try to lift them. Drain the water, cover them with towels to keep them warm, and stay calm. If they are uninjured and able, the kneeling technique above often works once they have rested. If they cannot move, are in pain, or you suspect a fall injury, call 112 or 999. In care settings, follow the provider's falls and emergency procedure, which may include an inflatable lifting cushion or a mobile hoist. Our guide on how to help someone who has fallen covers the same "check first, never lift from the floor" principle in more detail.

What Equipment Makes Bath Transfers Safer?

Equipment is what turns a high-risk lift into a manageable task. The most common options are:

Bath board: a board across the rim so the person can sit and swing their legs over instead of stepping.
Powered bath lift: a battery-operated seat that lowers the person into the water and raises them back up.
Bath or mobile hoist: used where the person cannot bear weight. Assisted baths in nursing homes often have an integrated hoist. The same rules apply as in our guide on how to use a hoist sling safely, including using the correct sling type for bathing.
Grab rails and non-slip mats: cheap, simple, and they reduce falls for everyone.

For people living at home, an HSE occupational therapist can assess which aids are suitable. Local authorities run the Housing Aid for Older People scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, which can help cover the cost of bathroom adaptations.

What Does Irish Law Require From Care Employers?

Regulation 68 of the 2007 Regulations defines manual handling as any transporting or supporting of a load, and Health and Safety Authority (HSA) guidance treats moving and handling people as manual handling. Regulation 69 requires employers to avoid manual handling where possible, particularly through the use of equipment, and to assess and reduce the risk where it cannot be avoided, having regard to the Schedule 3 factors. Section 10 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to provide instruction and training suited to the work their staff actually do.

In practice, a home care provider, nursing home or disability service should cover bathing in each client's moving and handling assessment and care plan, stating the method and equipment. Staff should never be expected to improvise a bath transfer or lift a client out manually.

Who Needs to Know This?

This applies to home care workers, healthcare assistants, nursing home staff, disability support workers and personal assistants who help with personal care. It matters just as much for family carers, who often help a parent bathe with no training or equipment. Anyone doing this as part of their job should have completed manual handling training that includes people handling, and be shown each client's equipment before using it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you drain the bath before helping someone out?

Yes. Always drain the water before the person tries to get out. It removes the risk of them slipping under the water and gives you time to cover them with a towel so they stay warm.

Can you lift an elderly person out of the bath on your own?

No. You should never lift a person's body weight out of a bath. If they cannot get out with verbal prompts and light guidance, use a bath lift or hoist, or call for help if they are stuck or injured.

What is the easiest way for an older person to get into a bath?

Sitting down on a bath board and swinging the legs over one at a time is far safer than stepping over the side. A powered bath lift can then lower them into the water without anyone taking their weight.

Do home care workers in Ireland need training to help with bathing?

Yes. Employers must provide training suited to the tasks staff perform under Section 10 of the 2005 Act, and bathing support involves people handling, which is covered by the 2007 Regulations and HSA guidance.

Is a walk-in shower safer than a bath for someone with poor mobility?

Usually, yes. A level-access shower with a shower chair removes the need to step over a bath side, which is the point where most falls happen. Grants from local authorities can help with the cost of adapting a bathroom.