Feel Safer in Your Home With Grab Bars and Handles
Millions of older people are treated in emergency rooms for injuries caused by slips or falls each year. One out of five of these accidents causes serious injury, like broken bones or head trauma.
A person’s home is often the site where these slips or falls occur. If you have stability or vision issues but want to age-in-place in the comfort of your home, strategically placed grab bars and handles can make your home safer and give you valuable peace of mind.
Keep reading to learn how you can feel safer in your home with grab bars and handles!
What Are Grab Bars?
Grab bars are solid bars that can be permanently installed in any area of your house. They can be used to lower or lift yourself from a seated position or provide additional stability as you move around your home.
While grab bars are available that are attached to a surface using suction cups, only permanently attached grab bars can bear a person’s full weight. Grab bars using suction cups can be an option in locations where it is not possible to attach a grab bar permanently, but their limited weight-bearing capacity must always be kept in mind.
Grab bars come in a wide variety of lengths, materials, shapes, and finishes. It is essential to find a grab bar with a slip-resistant, textured surface for increased stability.
Portland Accessibility Remodelers can help you choose the grab bar that will best keep you safe while also looking the best in your home.
Where Should I Install a Grab Bar?
Many people decide to have grab bars installed in bathrooms, where moisture can cause floors to be more slippery. When installed around a toilet, they can help you maintain your independence when lowering and lifting yourself from the seat.
Grab bars can be installed in a shower, providing sturdy support as you shower or enter and exit the shower. Grab bars designed for the shower are made of corrosion-resistant materials that can withstand being constantly wet.
Grab bars can also be installed along hallways or staircases for additional stability when walking or climbing stairs. These areas of your home often have hardwood flooring and can be the site of disastrous slips or falls.
Another location to consider installing a grab bar is along exterior staircases. Rain and snow, among other things, can make exterior staircases very slippery, while paving or other hard surfaces around these staircases can make slips or falls particularly dangerous.
What are Handles?
Generally used on or around a bathtub, handles are round bars that you can grip to provide stability while you enter or exit your tub. Handles are securely clamped onto the edge of your tub.
These handles are not permanently installed, making it possible to adjust their location to meet your individual needs. The handles are best suited for individuals who would like to age in place.
Handles feature a textured grip in either single or multiple gripping areas. In addition to providing stability, a textured grip ensures that the handle will not become slippery when wet.
While the slip and fall statistics are alarming, Portland Accessibility Remodelers can help you make your home safer as your age-in-place with professionally installed grab bars and handles. With many options to choose from, we are sure we can find the right grab bar or handle for your home and your individual needs!
Are you interested in making your home safe by installing grab bars or handles? Contact the professionals at Portland Accessibility Remodelers today!