Grab Bars are an important part of everyone’s safety when aging. We all see grab bars in our everyday life. They come in all different sizes and styles and may be an important part of what stops you from having a fall at home. Losing your balance and not having anything to grab onto could lead to serious injury, which could result in a hospital admission, or even a move into a retirement or long term care home.
Benefits of grab bars for seniors:
Help reduce falls and injury – As you age, your balance becomes less reliable and the possibility of having a fall that could end in bumps and bruises, all the way up to broken bones becomes a greater possibility. A grab bar or rail, when properly installed, will assist to hold you up if you were to lose your balance and grab onto it.
Assist in improving independence – As we age, our mobility naturally begins to decline. If you are able to make it easier to move around by having adaptive equipment, such as a grab bars on your toilet or bathtub, then it may eliminate the need for a caregiver or personal support worker (PSW) to assist you, or at least decrease the amount of support you need from them. This in turn helps boost your confidence and independence, while allowing you to age in place.
Improve your comfort – If you have any pain (eg in your knees), when sitting down or walking down stairs, grab rails can help take some of the strain off your body to make these movements easier. By using a grab rail to apply weight onto whilst you sit down, can help make everyday movements easier and less painful.
Types of grab bars to consider
1. Wall mounted grab bars – to assist with sit to stand/ standing balance and moving between spaces, ( eg through doorways or on steps). The key to putting these bars in the correct location and at the correct height is to have a registered Occupational or Physiotherapist do an assessment for you and recommend where they should be installed.
2. Bathtub and shower safety rails – This could be the most important place to get grab rails installed. Getting in and out of the bath or shower where the surfaces are wet and there is a higher likelihood of slipping is a huge hazard for people of all ages, but particularly older adults. Remember that towel rails are not usually weight bearing so you may want to think about getting grab rails put both in and out of the bath or shower in case you were to slip on entering or exiting.
3. Toilet safety frame and rail – Many toilets are mounted quite low, which may put more strain through your knees when standing up. Options may include fitting a higher toilet if you are planning on bathroom renovations. However there are many options to fit either raised toilet seats or toilet safety frames that will give you a handhold whilst using the toilet, that can make this easier without needing to replace the entire toilet.
Final thoughts
Look at safety grab bars as another piece of adaptive equipment that is there to make your life easier and safer, they come in different styles so can be blended into your home without standing out. The longer you can stay safe and mobile in your home, the higher likelihood there is to be able to continue to age in place and live independently. And lastly, make sure you get an expert like the folks at Living at Home Ltd. to do a home assessment and help you map out which equipment would work for you and where it should be installed. Registered Occupational and Physio therapists who specialize in helping older adults, are trained to be able to provide this advice and should be the first point of contact.
Stay safe out there!
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