10 Strategic Areas for Grab Bars, Safety Poles & Handrails in Your Home
Looking for the best spots for grab bars, safety poles, and handrails in your home?
We know that the process of getting accessibility solutions installed in your home can be overwhelming, and we are here to tackle this challenge for you in our blog today.
Whether your household is comprised of older people, young children, or a combination of people of different ages and abilities, grab bars, safety poles, and handrails can help keep your home safer for everyone in it.
What are grab bars, safety poles, and handrails?
Grab bars are vertical or horizontal bars that allow you to safely secure yourself with both of your hands while performing daily activities in the bathroom or other areas of the home. They come in all forms and sizes, including multifunction grab bars that are cleverly integrated into your bathroom’s design.
Safety poles and rails are sometimes grouped under grab bars- they provide the same support for balance and transitional movements. A differentiating factor is that poles can be floor-mounted, which is helpful if there are no walls to put grab bars on. Rails can be installed on the wall, beside the bed, or on the bathtub wall itself, and several models can be folded up/down or hidden when not in use.
Handrails are usually seen beside the stairways, but there are many other strategic areas around the house where you can place them.
The main objectives of installing grab bars, handrails, and safety poles in key areas in your home are fall prevention, balance help, and transitional movement support. Having dependable aids to hold on is can greatly improve your confidence, independence, and safety in going about your daily home routine.
Installing these accessibility devices only takes a couple of hours and grab bars from trusted manufacturers can cost below $100.
Misconceptions about accessibility devices
People normally tend to think that grab bars, safety poles, and handrails are just for the bathroom and the stairs, but they have a multitude of uses. They should be installed in many frequently-forgotten places where the risk of falling is greatest.
Are you still grabbing onto ordinary household items, such as the towel rack, kitchen counter, bathroom sink, bookshelf, etc., when you feel off balance? You have to stop doing that immediately because it is dangerous! These items are not designed to hold your weight and can cause more damage if they give way under your weight.
If you cringe at the idea of placing industrial-looking grab bars and aids throughout your home, we are happy to share with you that the accessibility market has grown significantly in recent years and products now come in different styles and designs to suit your home’s aesthetics.
Where to place grab bars, safety poles, and handrails in your home
Shower/tub area
In the shower/tub area, grab bars should be installed:
- Vertically along the edge of the tub or shower to make it safer and easier for the user to enter and exit the shower or bathtub.
- Vertically under the shower head and horizontally on your shower area’s side wall(s) to minimize the risk of slips and falls during shower time.
- Parallel to the floor and should be between 33 to 36 inches from the floor to ensure that they are easy to grasp by all users (according to the Americans with Disabilities Act/ADA standards)
If you are fond of taking baths, there are grab bars specially made for the bath area, such as the spout grab bar, accent ring, and tub-rail, which are designed to help you transition in and out of the tub seamlessly and conveniently.
Personal care storage areas
The act of reaching out with one or both arms to get items from a high spot can put you out of balance and cause unfortunate slips or falls. There should be extra support in areas where you store and get items such as bath towels, toiletries, medicines, etc. from.
Fortunately, there are several multifunctional grab bars, safety poles, and rails that also serve as towel holders, shampoo shelves, soap dishes, and bathroom shelves, such as Healthcraft’s Invisia and Plus lines, and Grabcessories’ multifunction grab bars.
These products are space-saving and are cleverly and stylishly integrated into the design of your bathroom.
Beside the toilet
As you become more advanced in age, you will start feeling the urgent need to go to the bathroom more frequently. Make sure the toilet area is safe, by installing toilet safety rails and grab bars that can allow you to sit down or stand up without straining your wrist or arm muscles.
Most toilet safety rails won’t take up too much space because you can simply raise the rails when not in use.
Grab bars are essential for an accessible bathroom. The ADA recommends installing grab bars that are 36 inches to 42 inches long on both sides of the side walls of a normal toilet stall, as well as one on the back wall to assist the user in sitting and standing up from the toilet.
The grab bars should be installed 33 to 36 inches off the ground, parallel to the floor.
Stairways
Handrails are typically installed along one or preferably on both sides of a stairway for added safety and accessibility. The handrail should have enough stability to support the user’s weight as they move up and down the stairs.
According to ADA regulations, handrails at the bottom of steps must slope after the bottom riser nosing for at least one tread’s breadth, and continue horizontally for at least another 12 inches to ensure that it is long enough to support the user as you alight from the stairs.
Long hallways
For people who have trouble moving around or have low endurance, navigating long corridors and transitional hallways can be challenging. It’s normal for people to want to hold onto something sturdy when they feel tired or wobbly from walking, right?
That is why long corridors and hallways should have handrails or grab bars installed to add additional support for the elderly, those with restricted movement, and those who are injured.
Promenaid handrails come in different colors and finishes and can actually look like stylish decor, instead of an assistive aid when placed on hallways.
Porch area/main entrance
Passing through doorways becomes safer and more convenient for people of all abilities when they have something to hold onto when they obtain their keys from their bags or pockets, ring the doorbell, turn the door knob, or step over a small threshold.
Make sure that accessibility aids placed outdoors are weatherproof and have non-slip grips to avoid hand slippage when wet. These bars should be installed vertically at a height most suitable for all users.
If you have a wheelchair access ramp, it is best to have handrails installed on one or both sides of the ramp for added safety, especially in wet and icy conditions.
Every doorway in your home
Grab bars and safety poles on every doorway, whether internal or external, can provide people in your home with firm support at various points around the house. They also aid in movement from room to room, especially for those who need extra support, such as the elderly or people with mobility limitations.
Remember: The more grab bars there are on key spots in your home, the more there are to firmly hold onto to stop a fall.
Kitchen
The average person spends a lot of time in their kitchen- it can be one of the busiest (and happiest!) places in your home, especially if you enjoy food and cooking. However, the likelihood of falling in the kitchen is high for seniors who are shaky on their feet and spend a lot of time standing.
Many people assume that a kitchen does not have space for grab bars because cabinets and countertops occupy most of its wall space. But you can actually install grab bars in the kitchen: beneath the countertop and above the lower cabinet doors.
Alternatively, you can use the reliable SuperPole to provide support in specific spots.
You can get support along work surfaces in the kitchen, without obstructing drawers, cabinet doors, or other necessary fixtures.
Garage & laundry areas
For assistance in climbing the stairs from the garage and basement laundry area into the house, you can have a folding grab bar installed on one or both sides of the steps, regardless of how many steps there are.
Foldable grab bars are a wonderful alternative for confined spaces because they come in a variety of sizes, easily fold up, and don’t take up extra room.
It is advisable to put grab bars, safety poles, and handrails around the garage and laundry areas because they tend to become slippery due to oil spills from car engines, clutter, detergent, or water spills while doing the laundry, etc.
Anywhere elders or people with mobility challenges need to transition from sitting to standing and vice versa
As we have emphasized throughout this article, there is no limit as to where you can put grab bars, safety poles, and handrails to ensure maximum safety and accessibility throughout your beloved home.
Assess the areas in your home where you or a loved one with mobility problems will need to transition from sitting to standing and vice versa- it is important that you install accessibility aids in these areas.
Common examples are: beside the couch, bed, dining table, vanity table, etc.
No worries if these areas do not have sturdy walls where you can install grab bars or handrails- safety poles, such as the SuperPole and the Advantage Rail are perfect for these circumstances.
Conclusion
The most significant improvements in home safety and accessibility can be made through little changes. Safety is a journey, not a destination. Having grab bars, safety poles, and handrails in your home is a good first step towards safety and accessibility, and they can already make a huge difference in your everyday life.
You don’t need to sacrifice style for safety- grab bars, safety poles, and handrails are currently available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors, finishes, and metals to suit varying tastes and home designs. The possibilities are endless, as are the locations where these accessibility aids can be installed.
An accessible home ensures that your home is a safe place and makes it more comfortable and enjoyable for you and your loved ones.
At Home2stay, we offer the Home2stay Express service- book your grab bars, safety poles, handrails, and tub cuts today and have our trusted accessibility experts at your doorstep the next day.
We are your trustworthy home accessibility partner in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, providing safety and accessibility solutions only from credible brands and manufacturers.
Leave a Comment
We'd Love to Hear Your Thoughts Got something to say? We're all ears! Leave your comments below and let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us improve and serve you better. Can't wait to hear from you!