How Grab Bars Help Make Your Edmonton Home Senior-Friendly

Falls in the bathroom are a big concern to seniors. A 2014 report estimated that between 20% to 30% of adults over 65 fall each year. Falls are serious business. The risk of falling in the bathroom increases with age. Fortunately, there are many things that can reduce the risk of falls in the home. Installing grab bars in the bathroom help seniors stand up from the toilet or give them extra support in the shower. Handyman Connection offers home repairs for seniors for added safety and peace of mind. Here’s what to know about grab bars.

Helps Prevent Falls

Mobility issues and weakness are just two reasons that seniors fall. Grab bars are designed to hold the full weight of a person, unlike towel bars, which are only designed to hold a towel or two. When balance is a problem, the grab bar can give a senior more stability to prevent a fall and an injury. Installing grab bars correctly is key to them holding the weight of a person. Contact Handyman Connection for senior home repair and aging-in-place options that provide extra security for seniors. We can tailor solutions to a person’s individual situation and health status to give them peace of mind.

Good For Seniors With Good Upper Body Strength

Many seniors have arthritis in their knees and ankles, which makes them more prone to falling. Grab bars don’t rely on leg strength and mobility to grab hold of. The best grab bars have some texture on them, which gives more grip for seniors who have lost strength due to arthritis. There are many configurations of grab bars that can be installed in the bathroom or even in other places in the home where more stability is required.

• Angled grab bars come in U or L shapes. These bars are often installed by the toilet to assist in standing up or when sitting down.

• Floor-to-wall grab bars are vertically installed on the wall to assist in stepping over the tub to prevent falls.

• Wall-mounted bars are horizontally installed along walls or beside the tub and shower to assist when walking or standing.

• Free-standing grab bars can be installed in places without a wall space. These are poles that provide stability but are not mounted to the wall.

Although you can find suction grab bars, these bars are simply attached to the wall with a suction cup. This connection is not as strong as bars that are installed to the structure of the home. Mounted bars that are installed by professionals are much more likely to support a senior’s weight in case of a fall.

Independence and Security

Grab bars give seniors a better sense of safety, so they can manage their bathroom tasks on their own. Whether it’s getting up from the toilet or taking a shower, a senior can feel safer with properly installed grab bars in the bathroom, in hallways or near steps in the home. Small things can provide more independence in the home. Grab bars don’t have to change the aesthetic of the bathroom. Most grab bars come in a brushed metal style, which won’t look out of place in most bathrooms.

Contact Handyman Connection for repair services in Edmonton to make your home safer for your loved ones who are seniors or for your own aging-in-place security. Our team can help find solutions for mobility issues that prevent you from feeling secure in your own home. No one needs to lose their independence as they age. We know how important it is to feel safe in the bathroom. Intervene now to find ways to prevent falls.