Grab Bar Tip

When you are installing grab bars, be sure to work with the individual using them first to understand exactly the most comfortable way of reaching and grabbing for that person. What? you say. Imagine someone who has weak wrists trying to pull against a horizontally positioned bar. Try it and see how the wrist bends when you use a pulling action. Or for someone with weak fingers, imagine trying to grip a vertically placed grab bar. It won't work. They need something they can lean on or place a whole hand behind for leverage. Placing a bar on an angle can be helpful for someone who wants to use two hands in a climbing motion as they sit or stand in the shower or tub. If you experiment first with watching how the person you are assisting reaches and grips, the odds will be greater that s/he will actually use the grab bar.

For more on grab bars, see Kathryn's article in the Denver Examiner.