Handicap Bars

Filed under Handicap Bathroom, Handicap Bedroom, Handicap Equipment

When someone is handicapped and needs some extra help, it is helpful for them if they can find handicap bars that have been installed in different places to assist them. These bars are frequently found in restrooms and along walkways in public places, but people can also have them installed in their homes to ensure safety while moving around the house.

Handicap Bars for Bathrooms

Having a handicap bar in the house will allow someone to grab onto the bar to prevent a fall. One of the most common places for these bars is the bathroom, where the floor is often slippery.

Handicap Shower Bars

They can also be installed in showers and prevent many falls, giving people something to grab onto while climbing in and out. A wet environment is a dangerous place for anyone who has trouble stabilizing their lower limbs. These shower grab bars are capable of supporting weights upwards of 250lbs to 300lbs.

Angled Grab Bars

Particularly effective for the shower environment are angle grab bars that can be horizontal, vertical and diagonal at the same time. You can find them with 90 degree right angles or greater than 90 degrees with obtuse angles. They are very convenient for someone who needs grab bars at various angles.

Bathtub Handicap Bars

Entering and exiting the curb of a bathtub used to require unsteady lifting of one leg and using anything else as a stabilizer. For many reasons, this proved to be quite dangerous and it was only a matter of time before slips and falls occurred. Handicap bars in bathtubs has changed that whole process. By equipping bathtub grab bars on the side or alongside the walls of the bathtubs, one can use that as a stabling device and safety enter and exit a tub.

Handicap Toilet Bars

A lot of people install handicap bars on the edges and sides of a toilet for extra assistance. They help when someone needs to sit down and when they need a toilet bar to get off the toilet seat. They are also known as toilet safety rails or toilet side rails and are a necessity for the elderly and disabled.

Handicap Bars around the Home

The location around or near the bed makes for a great place to install handicap bed rails; which is used as a transferring and support bar. This is the most affordable bed transfer equipment one can buy.

People can have them put in throughout hallways to make the walk easier; it is like having stair railings along the whole wall! Other useful places in the house to have handicap bars are any of those areas that do not have good sources of light, such as garages or basements. A bar in one of those places will give someone the confidence they need to get around easily. They can be installed anywhere around the house that someone would like to have them. An unconventional area that people can install handicap bars is on the armrest of chairs, thereby creating a simple handicapped chair. This is especially useful for people who experience fatigue or pain when lifting their body off the chair.

Handicap Bars Cost

People can buy handicap bars to install in their homes for a reasonable cost, starting at around $25 dollars. There are many styles so one can be found to suit the decor of someone’s home. Of course there are the typical shades of metals, but there are also colored bars on the market. The quality of someone’s life can be increased a great deal just by knowing that they have these safety bars around to help them. That assurance will give these people the confidence they need to do their everyday tasks without fear of a fall.

Tags: Hand Railings

Donate Handicap Equipment

Filed under Handicap Equipment

After some rehabilitation, your temporary disability is now healed but now you have some used handicapped equipment lying around the home. It is probably in excellent condition and tossing it away would feel wasteful. Rather than throw it away, you can donate the handicap equipment. Donated handicapped equipment can be a tax write off, save someone from paying full retail price, and help someone regain their independence.

Where can I donate handicapped equipment?

Try your local thrift shops. Go to your local hospital and ask them if you can get a tax deduction on your donated item. If they are not willing to accept, someone there should be able to suggest someone who will. The American Medical Resources Foundation (AMRF) handles used handicapped equipment worldwide. Check your local emergency medical services (EMS) volunteers or a local social services department for people in need of such equipment. The Salvation Army, Goodwill and charities that work with medical equipment distribution are good spots. Veteran’s group homes are also good places to donate.

Some equipment can be reused while others, cannot. Medical equipment must be sterilized before they can be reused. There are many legal ramifications that are involved when you donate used handicapped equipment. For example, there skin infections and other irritants that may transfer by reusing handicap equipment. This creates a liability that many people will not want to get involved even if it is operational. For these reasons, many companies and organizations not equipped to handle used handicap equipment, will reject your donations.

Where can I get used handicapped equipment?

The reason why most people get used handicapped equipment is because they are cheaper than the new versions. The simplest way would be to get it from a friend or relative. There are also organizations like Healthcare for the Homeless that might have some used equipment for you. The places where you can donate handicapped equipment are also the same places where you can purchase used handicapped equipment.

If you feel a bit more adventurous, since many people throw away or sell expensive medical equipment online, there are sites like EBay, Freecycle and Craigslist. Make sure to set up a throw away email address because you can be inundated with spam and offers. Handicap walkers, crutches, wheelchairs and raised toilet seats are just a few examples of things you can find.

Most importantly, used handicapped equipment has potential risks involved and there are no warranties. I do not recommend the used option but many people do reuse them.