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What Do You Need to Know about Installing Grab Bars in Your Loved One’s Home?

Senior Care in Wooster OH

Grab bars or hand rails make quick work of boosting the safety factor in your loved one’s home. Knowing some of this information can help you to make sure that they’re as effective as possible.

Grab Bars Are Inexpensive

All things considered, grab bars are a relatively inexpensive way to help ensure your loved one’s safety at home. You can buy kits that have all the hardware and the railing that you need, but those can be more pricey. Shop around to find the material and the lengths that you need and you can likely put your own kit together much more cheaply.

Make Sure the Bar Is Anchored

One of the best pieces of hardware that you can use to install grab bars are the anchors that help secure the rails to the wall. These expand behind the drywall and help the screw to lock into place. You may also want a stud finder so that you can find the most solid location for securing each screw to the wall. If you fail to anchor the rails properly, you run the risk that your loved one might not find the rail as strong as it needs to be should she actually need to use it.

Avoid Slanting the Bar

When you do install the rails, make sure that they’re parallel to the floor. You don’t want any kind of slant on the bar at all. While a slant can be visually more interesting, that slant can present a hazard of its own. Should your loved one trip and try to grab the slanted bar, her hand can slip farther down the rail, actually helping her to fall rather than keeping her upright. Not the result you’re looking to have.

You Can Place them at Multiple Heights

Something that can work well for your loved one, particularly in the bathroom, is to have more than one grab bar at multiple heights. That way whether she’s sitting, standing, or leaning, she’s got access to a hand rail that will help her. Try out more than one height and see how they work for your loved one.

If you’re not sure where exactly to place grab bars for your loved one’s safety, talk with her senior care providers to brainstorm some locations.

If you are considering hiring senior care in Wooster, Ohio, call the caring staff at Central Star Home Health at (419) 610-2161.  Providing services for families in Mansfield, Lexington, Bellville, Mt. Gilead, Loudonville, Crestline, Galion, Shelby, Ashland, Wooster, and the surrounding areas.

Stephen Sternbach

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