Shower Benches

Recently, I was completing a donation form for the Paralyzed Veterans of America and realized that they offer safety tips on the reverse side of the contribution voucher. Their organization’s goal is to help prevent the ten thousand spinal cord injuries that occur each year in the United States.

The tips included always wearing a seatbelt, stairway safety, and keeping cords out of walkways. There was one tip that related to our bath safety topic. The Paralyzed Veterans of America recommend that you equip your bathtub or shower with non-skid mats, abrasive strips, and grab bars. I could not agree more.

Grab bars are an essential part of bathroom safety. Don’t be fooled into thinking that a towel rack is a good substitute for a grab bar. Towel racks can not support the weight exerted by a falling individual or offer the stability needed to help you in and out of the shower. There are many grab bar styles and sizes available so you can find just the right one for your needs.

Heed the advice of the Paralyzed Veterans of America and install a grab bar today.

If you have ever experienced difficulty getting up from the toilet, the curve grab bar may be just what you need.

Able to support up to 350 pounds, the curve grab bar has four ladder type levels so you can “climb” up from the toilet. Constructed of rust resistant zinc plated steel, this grab bar is extremely durable. The curve grab bar can be locked into position at 45 degree angles making it possible to get perfect placement for your particular bathroom situation.

The curve grab bar is not only effective for senior citizens; it is also a great tool for people who have a bad back. The leverage provided can ease the pressure on your back and enable you to use the bathroom without assistance. Independence and privacy are important to everyone, no matter what their age, and the curve grab bar can offer you both.

When I was just a few months old, my mother fell as she hurried out of the bath tub. She was rushing to answer the telephone before it awakened me. As a result of her fall, she broke her wrist. Her arm was in a cast up to her shoulder for several weeks. This fall made it difficult for her to care for herself and even more difficult to care for an infant. While her accident did not occur in the bathroom proper, it can be directly attributed to the water, soap, and hard slick surfaces that make the bathroom such a dangerous place.

At the time of her fall, my mom was 22 years old. I shudder to think what damage a similar fall could do to her now as she approaches her 60th birthday. We all know how brittle bones get as we age—everyone knows someone with osteoporosis. So why aren’t we protecting our parents, our grandparents, and even ourselves from the hazards of the bath.

A well-placed grab bar can serve many functions in the bathroom. It can stabilize the bather as she or he enters the shower. It can also provide the necessary leverage to make an exit from a deep bath tub much easier and safer. A grab bar can even provide extra support in the balancing act that is required to shave one’s legs in the shower.

If you are looking for a tub rail, a Hi/Lo Safety Tub Rail might be just right for you. With a weight capacity of 250 pounds, this tub rail fits all modern bath tubs with tub walls between 3 ½ and 6 ½ inches wide. The Hi/Lo Safety Tub Rail enables its user to grasp at two different levels. The availability of the multiple grip levels makes this rail practical for use by people of varying heights so that one rail is all that is needed.

The Hi/Lo Safety Tub Rail is coated with white polymer to make the rail and clamps attractive in most settings. This tub rail is beneficial for those using the bath as well as the shower. The Hi/Lo Safety Tub Rail can be installed without tools, which makes it extremely portable. You can take the rail with you so that any bathroom is as safe as home.

A Hi/Lo Safety Tub Rail is another inexpensive way to make bath time safe.

Everyday adult children are making the difficult decision to move their elderly parents into their homes. Sometimes these moves force the parents out of homes they’ve lived in for decades and can make them feel less independent. In order to ease the transition, there are several safety precautions children can take:

1. Eliminate throw rugs from floors to eliminate trips and falls.

2. Make sure walkways are free of cables and cords.

3. Install grab bars in all bathrooms.

4. Make an appropriate bath safety seat available—transfer bench, shower stool, shower chair, etc. to maximize showering comfort.

5. A tub rail or bath lift will help seniors ease into the bath.

6. Consider moving your parents’ bedroom downstairs to eliminate the need to climb stairs.

A little extra effort will go a long way to make your parents feel that your home is their home.

I have always loved soaking in the tub, so I was thrilled when we bought our house and there was a deep soaker tub. Even at 37, I sometimes have trouble getting out of this tub. Pregnancy made it nearly impossible to get out of this tub. I now know that there are several things I can do to make using my tub easier.

A tub rail is perfect to assist me in and out of the tub. There are adjustable models to accommodate various tub wall thicknesses and to accommodate users of different heights. I don’t have to worry about the tub rail scratching my tub because most tub rails are cushioned to protect the tub finish.

Installing a grab bar is another way to make my bath more safe and enjoyable. A suction cup grab bar will work the best because I can keep relocating it until I find just the right spot without worrying about repairing my walls.

As my mobility worsens I will not have to ever give up my bath, as bath lifts make it possible for everyone to take a bath. Many bath lifts are built with the capability to allow soaking in a deep tub. No one ever needs to give up a soak in the tub with these great bath safety ideas.

After having three knee surgeries and a hip replacement in the last three years, my mobility leaves a lot to be desired. Simply standing up from a seated position is often a struggle, and frequently I need my cane or the assistance of a loved one. The rest of the time there isn’t any noticeable pain, but it definitely takes me longer to get everywhere.

The one area where I’ve really noticed my joints hampering me is in the bathroom. I absolutely love taking baths, but do to my surgically repaired joints, getting in and out of the tub is no easy task. For the last several months I’ve simply foregone my baths, opting for showers instead. When I was browsing online recently, however, I was able to find bathtub grab bars. They were simple to install and give me the ability to leverage myself getting out of the tub, taking much of the strain off my knees and hips.

Every couple of months my mom and dad come to visit from Arizona, and we always have to do a little prep work around the house to ensure they have a safe and happy visit. My dad has had to hip replacement and for the last eight years my mom has been using a walker, so mobility is definitely an issue. They both have trouble getting in and out of our cars, so we always rent a couple of compacts when they come up.

The bathroom is always an area of concern, and my parents have made it clear that they don’t want any kind of assistance. We purchased a couple of shower benches during their last visit so they could be comfortable in the shower and none of us had to worry about them slipping. Which reminds me: I also got a suction cup grab bar to help them get in and out—I had better go reinstall it before they get here.

Now that you’ve located your studs, you need to place you grab bar, making sure that two of the three screws on each side will be mounted firmly into the stud. If you are mounting the grab bar horizontally, use a level to assure you are mounting the bar levelly. You can mark the holes with a pencil, using the grad bar holes as a template. Remove the grab bar and place a level on your top holes across and your bottom holes across. Make any necessary adjustments and recheck for level.

After you’ve determined the final position of your holes, it is time to drill. Remember to use a glass and tile bit if you will be drilling into ceramic tiles. You will need to create a starter hole for each screw hole to keep the drill from skittering out of place and scratching the tile. By putting your drill in reverse, you can create a small starter hole that will make you drilling job so much easier.

After you’ve drilled you holes, use the provided screws to mount your grab bar. For this step it is handy to have an extra set of hands to hold the other side of the bar until you have a screw in each side. Remember that you can use a traditional screwdriver or use your drill a slower speed. Once all of the screws are in place you can test the grab bar’s stability by grabbing on and trying to shake it. If you’ve gotten all six screws in a stud, you will have a safe and sturdy grab bar to make your bathroom safer.

Now that you have gathered all of your tools, it’s time to pick a location for your grab bar. If you want a horizontal installation, pick a spot 33 to 35 inches up from the bottom of the tub. Remember to allow space so you can access the water supply. A sixteen inch bar works well for this application, as the studs should be sixteen inches apart. The grab bar needs to mount directly into the studs to achieve its full weight capacity.

If you’ve chosen a 24 inch grab bar, then a diagonal installation will be simplest. By placing the grab bar at a 45 degree angle, you will span the two studs necessary for proper installation. The bottom of the bar should be 6 to 10 inches above the tub top and extend upward toward the rear of the tub wall.

Next you will need to locate the studs. Stud finders work well on drywall. If you will be installing into a ceramic tile tub surround, locating the studs is a little trickier. You can knock on the wall if the tile only extends part way, or you can go into the room that shares the common wall and use a stud finder or knock on the wall to find the stud.

Once you’ve located the stud, drill a small pilot hole and put a wire through it to find your stud’s center. Your next stud should be just sixteen inches away. Come back next time for Part 3 where we’ll drill the mounting holes.