Installing Grab Rails In The Bathroom

Making your home more accessible is an excellent idea as you get older so that you can continue to age in place and stay in familiar, comfortable surroundings, living independently for as long as possible.

There are lots of different adaptations you can make that will help accommodate you as your needs change and one of the best places to focus on is the bathroom, as this room represents a very real health and safety risk, since it features potentially slippery surfaces and various water sources.

While you can make significant investments in products like walk-in baths and easy access showers, there are smaller adaptations that can be carried out first if you’re not quite ready for such big changes.

Grab rails, for example, can make your bathroom safer quickly and affordably, so this would perhaps be a good place to start if you are worried that your physical requirements are starting to evolve.

There are different types of grab rail you can install depending on your mobility needs. Horizontal rails, for example, can be used next to both baths and showers, fitted at an angle to help you push yourself up from sitting, or giving you the support you need to lower yourself down. These rails can also be positioned near seats, as well as the toilet.

Vertical rails, meanwhile, can help you pull yourself into a standing position, as well as giving you additional support while in the shower. And for those of you with weak or painful wrists and arms, you may want to consider an inclined rail. These allow you to spread your forearm out across the length of the rail, helping to give you more support.

In terms of positioning, think about how you use the bath or shower. If you have a shower head over the bathtub, using a vertical rail on the wall near the tap end can be useful. If you have a separate shower cubicle, you can improve safety standards by installing a vertical rail at the entrance so you can get in and out easily.

And if you’ve had to have a shower seat installed, you may find it useful to add a horizontal grab rail alongside the seat to help you get up and down, as well as to prevent you from sliding off.

Of course, this is only a very brief guide to home accessibility products and it’s important to make decisions based on your own personal needs, as well as physical factors like height and weight in order to work out where best to position your rails.

If you need any further help or advice, get in touch with the Practical Bathing team today to find out more about making your home more accessible.