The typical American bathroom makes home safety experts nervous. They look at the bathroom as the problem room in any house, plagued by hazards.

After all, the potential dangers lurk wall to wall: slips and falls in the tub, slips on a wet floor, trips on a floor covered with throw rugs. Falls at home -- in the bathroom and other rooms -- are a leading cause of injury and admission to the hospital, especially for those older than 65, says the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. And when you're in a wheelchair or you're older and don't move as nimbly as you once did, the bathroom can become even more treacherous.

But a growing number of products are aimed to make bathrooms safer and more accessible. Experts can help you decide what you need. And, if you're remodeling and in the mood to knock out a few walls or widen some doors, you can make the bathroom more accessible structurally as well.

If the need to make your bathroom more accessible is new to you, your best bet is to consult with an expert for advice, suggests Fred Tchang, director of rehabilitation technology services at United Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey, based in Trenton. An occupational therapist or a geriatric care manager are two possible sources of information, he says. Or, check http://www.homemods.org, the Web site of the National Resource Center on Supportive Housing and Home Modification, which posts a National Directory of Home Modification and Repair Programs. Or, your hospital or health maintenance organization or insurance company might have referrals.

Getting help tailored for you is wise, Tchang adds, because "what people need will vary so much depending on the specific disability."

The following are among the products most often mentioned for mobility-impaired persons to improve bathroom safety:

• Bath or shower chairs and benches: Bath chairs, with or without backs, are simply placed in the tub or shower. A shower chair is a good option if you can stand, and then climb in the shower or tub and sit on it, Tchang says. But if getting up and down is difficult, you might consider a shower or bath transfer bench instead, he says. The bench is placed with two legs in the bathtub and two legs are on the bathroom floor, allowing the bather to first sit on the bench while outside the shower or tub, and then maneuver into place.

• Elevated toilet seats: These are also called raised toilet seats and come with or without arms. One model, a clamp-on style, attaches to most toilets without tools and then a locking mechanism tightens so that the part you sit on is higher than the original seat. This makes it easier and safer to get on and off the toilet.

• Commode chairs. "These can fit over the toilet," says Tchang. Others are combination styles, such as a shower and commode chair.

• Grab bars for the wall, tub or toilet. These bars are simply screwed into the wall. But be sure, Tchang says, to screw them into studs in the wall, not just into drywall, so they will support when you do have to hold onto them. If you're not handy around the house, find a contractor or a handyman to do the work. The extra money will be well spent, since you know the bars will be securely fastened. Place the bars at a height that will be most useful to you.

If you want to make structural modifications, it's wise to consult an architect first who knows about accessibility issues, says Tom Davies, an architect with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), http://www.pva.org. See if he or she will work on an hourly basis to suggest modifications for you. Give the architect plenty of information, such as whether you are right- or left-handed, and how good your transferring skills and balance are. Questions can also be addressed to the PVA, (800) 424-8200, which also has available several publications that may help.

To find an architect in your area, visit the Web site of the American Institute of Architects, http://www.aia.org/, which features an "Architect Finder." You can even specify that you want one with expertise in accessibility issues.

Another resource worth checking out is WheelchairNet, http://www.wheelchairnet.org, a virtual community sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the University of Pittsburgh. Included on the site are links to design resources and products, with room-by-room information.

Some modifications might be fairly simple, such as hingeing the door to swing outward instead of inward to allow more space once you and your wheelchair are inside. You might also consider mounting sinks at a height that allows the wheelchair to roll in under it. Or you might have a wall mounted lavoratory installed allowing you to wheel up to the basin.

Another option is a roll-in shower, which typically includes a larger-than-average stall with a threshold that is level with the adjacent bathroom floor and has grab bars and a fold-down seat.

Even in bathrooms with the best accessibility equipment that have been remodeled or constructed by an excellent builder, there's room for common sense to maintain safety, experts say.

Among the simplest measures: Keep on a night light, clean up water immediately and don't let clutter accumulate.