Grab Bars For Shower Give You Stability

Anyone can slip in the bathroom with a wet floor, soapy water, etc. A fall in the bathroom could be disastrous. The floors are hard and there is hardly any place to even fall properly. You could hit your head somewhere and break some bones. This is a very serious problem, especially for the elders. As we all know it is difficult for elders to get healed very fast. The best way to protect oneself from this situation is to install grab bars for a shower in the bathroom.

Helps To Be Independent And Confident

Oil-rubbed Bronze Grab Bar

Many elders prefer to live alone today without the help of anyone. It gives them the freedom to live as they like without having to conform to someone else’s standards. But there are certain hazards when living alone. The fear of falling in the bathroom is very real. The incidences are also quite common. Installing grab bars for the shower is the best way to ensure their freedom. It will help them take a bath without anybody else’s help. They can continue to enjoy their freedom of living alone.

Types Of Grab Bars For Shower

Grab bars are easy to install and are the best way to keep safe in the bathroom. Before we look at how the grab bars must be installed let us look at the types of grab bars that are available and their merits and demerits.

The vertical grab bar is one type and it is the best for arthritic people as it allows them to grab the bar without twisting their wrists. It helps to hold the bars at different heights and provides help with limited balance. But they don’t provide stability for a long distance if you have to walk the length of the bathroom.

The horizontal grab bars allow you much more freedom to turn to body. They provide stability when you have to pull yourself up from a wheelchair and drop into the tub. They are also good to provide a hold when walking as they come for a good distance. But they are not good for people with arthritis as the wrist need to be twisted.

There are diagonal grab bars for shower which provide a good grip at different heights. They are a natural angle for the hands to hold them. But they don’t provide a good grip when you have to pull yourself up. Your hands can slip. However, there are textured grab bars available for this purpose.

Brass Grab Bars

Purchasing The Grab Bars

When you buy grab bars you must take care of certain things. You must not compromise with buying a towel bar. They are not intended for the purpose and will not provide stability. A standard grab bar is expected to hold around 250 pounds when fixed properly. Other bars do not have that strength.

Purchase a bar with 1 ½ inch in diameter which is standard and is good for most people to grip properly. There are thinner bars available too. It is essential that you buy grab bars for shower which are 18 inches or longer when you are installing a vertical bar near the tub. Buying a bar that will reach from one stud to the next is best for the horizontal or diagonal bar. The grab bar should not leave more than 1 ½ inch between the wall and bar because otherwise the hand can slip in and get trapped.