Grab Bars Make a Wonderful Gift for Seniors

I am always delighted to hear from my previous customers how the grab bars I had installed for them several years earlier have made such a difference in their lives. I still find it suprising when I hear this from customers. Properly installed grab bars provide a tremendous sense of security for seniors and make showering much less stressful. It is difficult for many of us to truly comprehend some of the psychological benefits provided by the addition of grab rails to the shower.

Grab Bars make a wonderful gift for seniors. I believe there is no better way to show your loved ones how much you care. Many of the grab bars that we ship out from our warehouse at Mr. Grab Bar are actually gifts ordered by children or grandchilden for their aging parents. Many seniors are much more receptive to grab bars when provided in the form of a gift. Presentation of grab bars in the form of a gift provide an ideal way of dealing with a senior who is resistant to the notion of having grab bars installed - a gift on the other, especially from a grandchild, is hard to refuse.

Using a Grab Bar in Conjunction With Elevated Toilet or Commode

A grab bar placed strategically next to an elevated toilet(ADA toilet) or 3 in 1 commode chair can serve an important function in terms of safety and assist for those demonstrating some degree of difficulty with sitting and standing. The elevated seat is wonderful in terms of assisting the individual with the initiation of movement but it does not provide the continued assist throught the entire range of movement from sit to stand, nor does it provide a high degree of security when one has to reach backwards to assist while sitting. A strategically placed Grab Bar can provide the additional assistance neccessary to provide safe function throughout the entire movement of sitting to standing and standing to sitting. I highly recommend the usage of a grab bar to many of my clients who demonstrate difficulty with a commode or raised toilet seat.

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Grab Bar Placement - Transitional Areas and Doorways

I often place a vertical grab bar in locations where one exits or enters an area - for example at the entrance to the shower or bath, at the entrance to a home or entrance to the garage. These particular areas are often frightening to many seniors and those with limitations of strength, perception or balance. I tend to use a longer grab bar when the transition itself poses a discrepancy in height so as to accomodate effective grasp from either a position of entrance or exit. I occasionally place a vertical grab bar on either side of the transition when the individual is much more limited on one side of his or her body and requires the ability to use the same extremity to grasp the grab bar when both entering or exiting.
I have also on occasion placed grab bars on the wall in close proximity to the bed and along hallways to facilitate transfers into and out of bed and to enhance stability when navigating to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
We encourage visitors to our blog to visit our website and grab bar shop to learn more about the wide varieties of grab bar styles and finishes that we offer.

BATHROOM GRAB BARS – Part I : BATHROOM FALLS

Grab Bars can potentially be placed in many critical locations throughout the home, but many individuals are resistant to the concept of installing grab bars throughout their home, especially in areas other than the bathroom. When grab bars are considered, it is frequently bathroom safety that is addressed – after all the bathroom is considered one of the most dangerous places in the home in terms of fall risk. Bathroom falls can occur within the shower or tub enclosure while bathing, at the entry point to the shower or bath while entering or exiting, and next to the toilet while rising or descending. Bathroom falls can sometime occur next to the vanity or in the central portion of the bathroom, especially if that portion of the floor is tiled, and slippery when wet.
In my experience I find that there is obviously a population of seniors that are at risk for bathroom falls due to limited mobility, weakness, fatigue, diminished balance, poor vision and a host of other debilitating factors. This population group is often very aware of the importance of properly placed Bathroom Grab Bars and is often but not always very cautious and deliberate in their movements, primarily out of fear of falling. I also believe there exists another sub group within the senior population that is not mentioned in most discussions. This population consists of active, healthy seniors who are so confident in there physical abilities that they scoff at the notion of bathroom grab bars. These “invincible” seniors as I refer to them, frequently do not take any caution whilst in the shower, or while stepping in or out of the tub area, and are at risk for suffering an unexpected, devastating fall which can quickly transform their lives.
The “unexpected fall” should be a big concern to our aging population and it is one of the key focal points of Mr. Grab Bar, a unique business concept created by a Physical Therapist in 1998. Bathroom Grab Bars in a large array of finishes, styles and sizes can be observed in a well organized fashion at the Mr. Grab Bar website, and your questions regarding grab bar installation or grab bar placement can be addressed and discussed on Mr. Grab Bar’s “Grab Bar Blog”.

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