Handicap Transfer Bars For Better Living
Filed under Disability, Handicap Equipment
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, 2.6 million injuries from falls occurred among older adults in the home.
Most injuries take place when the person transfers from the bed to the wheelchair, or from the unassisted use of a walker in the bathroom. Frequently, older people who fall suffer lacerations, hip fractures, and head injuries. The CDC recommends that many of these injuries and hospitalizations could have been prevented with the use of grab bars and bed transfer bars.
Increase Independence and Safety in the Home with Handicap Grab Bars
Activities of daily living (ADLs), such as the ability to transfer, to manage dressing, to bathe, and to prepare meals, are the basic day-to-day tasks of self-care and personal hygiene. The ability to perform ADLs safely and completely determines if people are capable of living independently at home. The use handicap grab bars provides people with a supportive and safe way to perform ADLs and maintain independent lifestyle.
The Most Efficient Locations for Handicap Transfer Bars
Bed transfer bars placed at the bedside provide safe support for transfers from the bed to wheelchair or walker. Pulling up on the vertical bar provides support and steadies a person with weakness or balance impairment. Vertical poles placed near the closet make it possible for a physically challenged person to dress themselves and perform basic ADLs in a safe manner.
Grab bars installed next to a toilet in the bathroom provide the greatest amount of safety and support for people who have difficulty sitting down or pulling up to a standing position. Horizontal bars are ideal for the bathtub, and can be mounted easily on wall tile. The user can maneuver in the shower and perform daily hygiene without slipping or falling in the bathtub.
ADA Guidelines for Safe and Supportive Grab Bars
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) has guidelines and specifications for safe and optimum use of grab bars. All grab bars should be fixed and not rotate in their fittings, and the mounting height is universally 33 to 36 inches from the grip of the bar to the floor. All ADA style grab bars should support at least 250 pounds of force.
Cost and Maintenance of Supportive Grab Bars
Grab bars costs vary with sizes and finishes and may range from $20-50 for transfer and support grab bars. Vertical poles may cost between $30-200, depending on which style is selected. Maintenance is low, and most bars stay in a firm position for years.
Tags: Floor to Ceiling Grab Bars, Swing Out Grab Bars, Trapeze Bars
Benefits of Flip Up Grab Bars
Filed under Handicap Equipment
Many seniors who experience balance problems and a decrease in mobility, along with younger individuals who may have chronic or temporary mobility problems, can benefit from using flip up grab bars.
Also called swing up grab bars, flip down grab bars or pull down grab bars, this style of grab bar is very popular for placing in bathrooms, next to toilets or places throughout the house where space is limited.
Advantages of Flip Up Grab Bars
The main advantage of flip up grab bars is that this style of grab bar, once attached securely to the wall studs, simply swings down and locks into place for use. Then once they are no longer needed, this style of swing grab bars swings up and out of the way until it is needed to function again. Traditional bathroom grab bars do not have this flexibility and can sometimes get in the way because of their permanent positioning jutting out from the wall. Fold up grab bars that flip up and out of the way, then flip down when needed are perfect for attaching near the raised toilets in order to be used to steady an individual getting up or down from the toilet seat.
Swing Out Grab Bars
There are swing out horizontal grab bars that can be conveniently pulled out from the wall and locked into place. These bars are perfect replacements for toilet safety rails or shower grab bars. When you are done using them, return it back to the wall and lock it into place.
A grab bar that can swing up and out of the way is also convenient for using on the wall of a shower stall so that when an individual is entering the shower, this style of toilet safety bar can be pulled down into place and then pushed up and out of the way when the shower is finished.
Costs of Flip Up Grab Bars
Grab bars, that are hinged to the wall and flip up and out of the way, come in a variety of materials to match the decor of the room, ranging from traditional stainless steel to more decorative antique brass, nickel and chrome. As an investment that provides safety for the inhabitants of a home, the starting price of around $125.00 to $250.00, for this style of grab bar is quite affordable. Nickel and brass grab bars being the most expensive choices.
Buy Recommended Flip Up Grab Bars
- Flip Up Grab Bars – Position next to a toilet for assistance when standing.
- Flip Up Safety Bars – Push down on this flip up safety bar and use it to assist your standing up. Supports more than 250lbs of downward pressure and comes with a locking hinge.
- Flip Out Horizontal Grab Bars – Place this flip out grab bar back against the wall when done.
- Floor Mounted Grab Bars – These are vertical poles that can be mounted just about anywhere with a floor and a ceiling.
No matter what style of flip up, fold down, flip down, pull down, swing up or swing down grab bar you desire, be sure that it offers a hold weight that exceeds the individual who will be using it for support. In addition, make sure it is properly located for your needs and secured correctly to the walls.