How about a rubber shower mat for traction?

I'm 83 years old with spinal, knee and hand arthritis. I have two grab bars but they are screwed into the studs in my bathtub. I shower using a shower chair. A couple of months ago I did slip in the tub. But because I have grab bars on the long and short walls, and I always use the bars to help me get in, get out, stand and balance in the tub I did not fall when my feet slipped out from under me. I let go with one hand, threw a towel I keep on a hook onto the tub floor, gained purchase with my feet and got out of the tub. I live in an apartment and I don't have have a walk in shower or a roll in shower. If I did not see to it that my landlord put in a diagonal and a vertical grab bar on two walls so I had my hands on two bars. I would have hurt myself much worse than the bruise I got on my leg flailing against my shower chair. I now have a rubber mat, a shower chair, two permanently installed bars in my shower and I am glad that my tub shower is as safe as I can make it. I had a long fight with my landlord about installing those grab bars. I told him that it was a necessary accommodation and I got a lawyer to quote state and federal law to him to get him to put the bars in. I think every state should have safety laws in building codes that require new construction to have one roll in or at least walk in shower installed in every rented apartment as a standard feature for safety, with tubs being separate from them. The safety code requires a window in every bedroom. That's a fire safety rule. Easy entry showers are not a convenience. Anyone can slip getting into a tub/shower combination and I know plenty of twenty and thirty year olds who have slipped doing just that in my complex over the 18 years I have lived here.

Gee, condescending much?

He makes a lot of sense.

I've always wondered why they don't make an adapter that will allow a walker to be clamped firmly onto the side of the tub so it can be used as a source of stability instead of grab bars.

I put grab bars in my bathroom before I had total knee replacement surgery. I have one horizontal one next to the toilet and a vertical grab bar in the shower. Both are strong enough to hold my weight. They are screwed to the wall into the studs with #14 x 3.5" screws. Yes my shower is tiled. The purposes of the two bars are different. The one by the toilet is there to give me something to push down on when getting on/off the toilet. It did the job admirably when I needed it for the first three months after surgery. The bar in the shower is there to give me something to hang onto to maintain my balance while showering. It also did what I needed it to do. I now only use it to support a soap dish. From my perspective, grab bars are to provide assistance in moving around and to help in preventing falls by giving a solid point to hang onto while keeping you upright. One comment - your explanation of gravity was 100% wrong except for the direction of the force. Getting something as basic as the force of gravity wrong greatly decreases my level of confidence in every thing else you had to say. Anyone who has a basic knowledge of home construction can install their own grab bar. The only hard part is locating the studs. You don't need any fancy tools, just a drill and appropriate bits for the surfaces you have to drill through.

A grab bar is better installed onto the wall with hardware.

I’m an OT and I warn all elder folks that suction bars are not a safe option ever

You have to USE them….lol

I have balance issues. I also a senior. I have two permanent grab bars in my tub/shower. It helps me to stabilize myself, especially when getting in and out of the shower. I don’t know how many times I’ve been saved from slipping.

This man is an IDIOT, IDIOT, IDIOT; grab bars are like bannisters; they give us balance much more than being just a "grab bar for falling" device. I even redid my bath, and my towel racks are also grab bars hooked into 2X6 treated wood in the walls VIA 3 INCH SS SCREWS. I am 81 yo and a retired GC an engineering tech.

My refusal to have grab bars installed is the fact that they are too large of a diameter. Plus round bars are difficult to hang onto. Maybe smaller stock and square tubing instead of round might work.

Thank you so much! 👍👍

I was just diagnosed with mild dementia! If not for my Dr thinking I have so eyhibg else they said it could have been years before diagnosis. And it's causing me to be "visually impaired". I have to move by eom as s this shed I live in isn't even considered inhabitable. No bathroom no kitchen

The only thing I use the suction style grab bars for is attaching them to my acrylic rulers and pattern grids that I use for sewing. It makes it easier to maneuver them than lifting from the edge and there's no danger if the suction fails. So that is the only safe use I can recommend.

They a solution help prevent falls.

Same reason as USCG Brennan said. My balance is horrible and the bars kept standing safely.

I live in a rental. I have 2 built in grab bars placed vertically and diagonally and they are of no use to me. I broke my wrist so I no longer have the strength to hold on or especially pull myself up. I am only 67 and it does not help. I do think it would have been better if at least one of them was placed horizontally. I agree with you 100%, especially when you’re in the shower with wet and/or soapy hands.

I'm a 6'-1" and an engineer in my late 70s. I designed and rebuilt my tiny bathroom for senior use. I determined the placement of support bars before the walls were framed. Installation took me 20 minutes per bar using 3" stainless screws through the ceramic tile and cement backer board into purposefully placed pressure treated 2x4s. My 5'-4" wife and I now use a support stool in the tub and have no difficulty with the bars I installed in the tub 15 years ago. Each has a different purpose - one is vertical and the hand held adjustable shower moves on it. One is inclined and used to assist getting up and down from the tub. One bar is flange mounted to half of the tub lip next to the toilet. Finally all the towel bars are grab bars. Every bar is the same diameter and capable of supporting a horizontal or vertical +500# load. The only thing that we changed was lengthening the shower hose. When used to stand up and sit down or to move between positions with an obstacle between then grab bars make sense. The different height issue is resolved by inclining a longer bar between the heights needed, Few architects know where to place bath support bars or how to orient them so they are functional, but treat them as if they were railings in a closed horizontal staircase. Most falls are the result of carelessness and can be avoided by planned movements. Falls caused by TIA or heart attacks can only be minimized.

Still recovering from an ankle fracture and using walk in shower was really scary. The shower shoes made all the difference! Great video… thank you!🙏

Thank you for explaining about grab bars! I was seriously considering having one or 2 installed.

I'm 77 and use a cane when I walk mostly for balance issues. I've been in this house for 43 years. In my tub I have a grab bar that is screwed into the studs and very strong, I would not use anything witth suction cups on it. . I use that vertical bar when trying to clean my feet by picking up one foot and then the other. I'm using that bar more to stabilize myself than to put significant weight 0n it The time might come when I have to do things differently but for now I'm fine with that grab bar where it is.

Thank you for the video. Gave me something to think about for sure!

I am 76 and my apartment came with metal bars at the toilet (2) and at the shower. (2). They have kept me from falling. They do not use suction I also have a fold down bench in the shower..

Wish you would get to the point sooner or more concisely. Perhaps prepare a sentence ahead of time to say. Fine to ramble on afterwards if someone wants to stick around for the full 23 minutes of details.

First off, I don’t consider that plastic thing a “grab bar” so I’m out!

You have to wet the back of shower grab bar and the wall to make it stick properly. You should also chek the grab bar before using every time before your shower.

Now I feel better about not having grab bars in my apartment. My landlord wouldn't install them, and I've never trusted the suction kind. I've had lower limb dysplasias and mobility limitations since birth. I walk in the bathroom with my walker, my husband helps me sit on my bath bench, and I shower with a handheld shower head while sitting the entire time. Then my husband helps me out into a bathrobe with a hood, I sit on the toilet lid, and he brings my walker back into the bathroom. Now I realize that this has been the safest way to shower.

Non slip in the tub or shower. Non slip grips in the tub or shower. Grab bars are for stablizing, non slip grips help prevent slipping, otherwise shower chair.

Shower chairs. If you use a walker then this is for you. You have a shower head on an long shower water hose and sit in the shower chair and wash all over including your hair.

There is no gravity, there is mass and the weight of an object is what leads it to fall. Gravity is called a theory because it's a lie made up to explain what is actually mass, but trying to use it as glue for the non spinning non ball earth. Because sea level. Water doesn't stay on a spinning ball, if you don't believe me, try it.

Are you saying just the temporary grab bars or permanent grab bars are unsafe. I won't use temporary. I have two permanent grab bars on the wall of the tub. have you ever had a dizzy spell and grabbed something so you won't fall. I have and there is a good chance it wont stop your fall. your body weight will pull you down.

So I was right about stick on grab bars, the whole concept seems unsafe to me. I bought a small chair with back because the bathroom is too narrow for a transfer bench and I wouldn't be able to get to the toilet. The bathtub is apartment size so most of the chairs I was missing an inch for the feet to fit in the tub. I also bought a hand held shower head and even with that I had to sponge bathe because I couldn't raise my leg to get in. I have a few medical issues and I had 11 compression fractures in my back fun fun fun😂 But that settles installing permanent grab bars. When in doubt, do without 😂 I have the Rubbermaid extra long bath matt ever since I moved here replaced it a few times but my bath is like standing on ice never thought of shower shoes. As far as getting help I was told if you're not completely bedbound nobody is going to come, that was even with my doctor's help. The first time I got in the shower I cried, it's not easy getting help when you need it.

Right…3inch lift. Horrible! Walker in shower!!! Great idea. Ok if walker lives in shower if there is room?

These help me keep stable in the shower. Moving around and such, so they still are very useful and should be part of a plan

British here🇬🇧. Thank you for this video. About to have new bathrooms at last. Present bath has non slip base, excellent until you have to turn over onto your knees at 87 after an hour’s blissful soak. Still have strong arms so can, then, just about manage to stand up, grab tall stool, like a static wheely (walker), placed strategically on the floor, and climb out of bath. Need to make full use of this opportunity to further age proof the bathroom. Also do not trust grab bars. Always imagine them coming off the wall complete with two tiles ! We have your sort of service FREE, already paid for with our taxes😂❤. So, I will make inquiries to see if I fall within whatever parameters have been set up to be able to use it. However, there’s always RU-vid and you good self😊❤🇬🇧💕

I thought they are mostly used for pulling themselves up.

It was my understanding that suction grab bars are just to keep your balance, not to pull on.

This was such an eye opening education. I am a 62 yo retired contractor and my body is beat up. We used to install these all of the time in our apartments. I agree that it was a waste of time and money bcuz so many tenants are different sizes. It’s not a one size fits all type of thing.

Thanks for your helpful ideas. Been told the same here in Canada. You guys go to the same school? I am 80 with arthritis in the knees, back and hips. I hang on to the shower curtain rod to climb in and out of the tub.

We have a shower enclosure (fiberglass) and the suction grab bars I purchased work great. You have to keep the walls and suction pads clean of soap scum. I mix Dawn warmed with vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray and let sit for a while then scrub with Scrub Daddy type sponge. Dry then put bar where you need it. I make sure they are not on “grout” lines but in center of “tile” then secure . We actually have 4 inside and a 2’ metal grab bar outside the shower. Hubby feels secure. Oh I also use a suction shower mat in floor for him.

My apartment has a narrow tub. There are no grab bars on the wall. I have one that I I put on the side of the tub and tighten on. I have only found one shower chair that will even fit in the tub. I found a small round one with a top that swivels. I have to back up to the tub, hold onto raised rounded top bar on the side of the tub, and use my quad cane on the right to balance and sit back on the little chair. Or I will hold onto my rollator walker and sit back on the shower chair. Since that device is attached to the side of the tub, I don't have the full length of the tub to pull my legs in. I have to pull them up one at a time and into the tub. I tried getting one of those slide in benches, but it wouldn't fit in the stupid tub. Because the legs angled out a little, where I wound up sitting was right over the edge of the tub. No way to keep the water in the tub. Also my bathroom is so small it was still hard to manipulate because I only had a couple of inches at the most between it and the toilet. I had to sit on it, scoot backwards, and then turn around only to find out the chair didn't fit this narrow tub enough to make it work. I had to get rid of it. I hope one day I can afford to move to a place with a walk in shower. You mentioned taking your walker into the shower. I would think water would get inside it. Then you would have to take the legs off and dump the water that accumulated beneath the last adjustment hole. I might use a walker to walk into the shower stall, but put it just outside the curtain after I'm seated. I wish more apartments came with walk in showers. I can't afford thousands and thousands of dollars every month for some senior independent living apartment. If I had that kind of money, I would have a house.

Just wondering what you are trying to sale.

It looks like a telephone😊

🌀🌀🌀Thanks for posting this info. I will be making changes to the bathrooms and I was thinking about the walker friendly walk-in showers. This lets me know that I have the right idea for the bathroom update. 🤝🤗✔️

Our Hospice company sent one of these grab bars along with a shower bench. I was shocked they endorse these suction cup bars. I have never trusted them and am hesitant to use for my very frail husband.

You have tile, and this type of grab bar will not adhere to it. However, they work beautifully in our shower, and we would not feel safe without them.

Thsnk you

Hey buddy, suction cups don’t work. You have to drill them into the studs. What a jerk.

Sorry, I'm a Senior at almost 73 and I use my "grab" bar everytime I get in the shower. I use it to balance myself, not to grab and yank on it. It works GREAT for us in that capacity! My shower is fiberglass and the suction cups work great as long as I've wet them properly first. ;-)