Betty was adamant about her son not installing grab bars in her home or bathroom. “I’m not going to a nursing home and I don’t want my home to look like one,” she told her son. “You’re not putting those ugly railings in my house. No!”
Her son Rob was pretty upset. His mother had slipped and fallen several times already, even once while in the shower. When the rescue crew showed up they had to pull her out of the tub, soapy, naked and embarrassed. “I thought that would convince her to let me have the grab rails installed, but it didn’t,” Rob told me. “She’d rather be embarrassed than have someone think she’s old.”
I nodded. I’d heard it before from other customers. No one wants their home to look like a nursing home or hospital. That’s one reason many people who could benefit from grab bars don’t install them.
You Have Options:
The good news is, today’s architects have designed grab bars and aids that don’t look like a hospital or institutional railings. They fit into your design scheme, whatever it is.
- Moen.com– If you love all things tech and functional. Moen offers kitchen and bathroom products with some very cool features such as digital shower controller and touchless faucets.
- greatgrabz.com– They boast sophisticated and decorative grab bars for any home décor.
- jaclo.com– offer numerous products and a large selection of grab bars. You can choose what type (straight, 90 degrees, etc.) and by finish (from rose gold to polished chrome).
- bestbath.com– they don’t offer as many grab bar options but they have great other products such as walk-in tubs, seats, and showers.
- Powers Construction Group Inc.– This general contractor has been in business since 1979 and won several awards for their excellent service and quality. They are based in Illinois but you can still look at their gallery for before and after pictures for inspiration!
You’re Not The Only One
Many people are surprised to realize upscale hotels also use these same devices to ensure their guests aren’t injured and are protected from slips and falls. Most hotel guests never even notice the grab rail bars and other devices because they blend in so well with the design of the room.
Roll-in showers, walk-in tubs, safety tile, grab bars, toilets, sinks and kitchen cabinets come in a variety of designs, colors and styles — allowing older adults to age in-home and any age family to stay safer as well.
They make porcelain tiles which are more slip resistant than ceramic. “Porcelain tiles,” says Michael Powers, owner of Powers Construction Group in Lisle, IL, “Let the water seep through, while ceramic tiles let the water build up and are slipperier.”
A lot of time the resistance people have to have grab bars or other safety features is simply because of how they look, not the functionality.
“Ask the person what they want to be able to do first, then design around that,” Michael said. “Sometimes a grab bar isn’t the best solution, and sometimes it is. When it is needed it doesn’t have to be ugly or look like a hospital.”
If a friend or family member is resisting safety devices because they “look ugly” or remind them of nursing homes, show them some of the new devices, tiles, colors, and designs on the market. Remind yourself and others that it’s better to age in a home with grab bars and safety devices than to not have them and slip and fall.
Article provided by: Stoptheslip.com
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