Pool Safety Ideas for Aging Baby Boomers

Water is one the most refreshing and enlivening elements in the world. It can awaken our spirit and relax the body. Many homeowners are installing swimming pools in the backyard for family fun or hydrotherapy, but as we age it may become increasingly difficult for us to get in and out of the pool. Fortunately, there are now a host of options on the market to ease the entry and exit from the pool. Since water is a great aid for relief from arthritis and orthopedic problems, older individuals are using pools more and more. If you do water aerobics or just jog in place most of the strain is taken off the joints, making this a great way for the elderly to stay in shape. The baby boomers are getting older every day so this form of exercise is only going to increase. A few solutions for assisting people in and out of the pool include ramps, lifts and shallow steps that start from a raised platform on the deck. This allows the swimmer to take the steps one at a time.

A pool might include raised walls on a partially inground pool. The walls are set at chair height so the person can easily get into the water. Zero-depth entrance ramps are possible making it somewhat like a beach where you can just slowly walk into the water. It is also possible to make the ramp for easy wheelchair entrance. Special wheelchairs made out of PVC plastic are rust resistant and available so you don