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It's quite expensive, so I'd like to make sure it's worth investing. They are 82 and 85 years old and living on their own, though we regularly visit their home.

Absolutely. I found something that looks like chair rail and was fairly easy to install along hallways at the suggtion from a first responder. I have the right saw, tools and a little experience. I installed bathroom grabbars with Dad's input as to where to place them. He still expresses appreciation and it has allowed me to delay getting a new (taller) toilet. He's now 91. I installed the grabbars 5+ years ago.

I didn't remove and store rugs soon enough. My mom tripped on one of her hallway runners. Hint.

I wonder if they have a checklist for elder-proofing like they do for baby-proofing?
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Reply to lissa34
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We had installed grab bars throughout my parents' house. We had them strategically placed in the bathroom to help them get up from the toilet and enter into the shower. We had them positioned by their stair lifts so they could position themselves into the chair, And we put two by the basement door so they could where navigate a step in order to enter and leave the house.

The grab bars did help them stay in their home longer.
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Reply to Hothouseflower
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My dad had quite a number of safety grab bars installed. He very much needed and used them, so definitely worth it. When it was time for me to sell the house the realtor advised they all be removed (except a long one in the shower) He stated it was best to remove things that looked like “old people house” to appeal to younger and more buyers. So off they came, along with patching and painting. House sold within days so maybe it worked or maybe it just sold
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Hothouseflower Jun 8, 2025
We sold my parents' house last year and we left them. We had a bidding war so obviously in our case it didn't matter.
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Consider installing a transfer pole. It goes from the floor to ceiling and is held securely in place by tension- no screws or holes. One handy guy installed it for me. First installed on a back porch, then in the bathroom of my new apartment when I moved. Very secure and safe, removable to a new location. Available on Amazon. Mine is installed between my toilet and walk-in shower. I suggest getting one with the curvy handles and not one that is just straight. I'm really happy with mine.
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Reply to vegaslady
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There are Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPs)
https://aginginplacedirectory.com/
Search for one in your area. They understand the local codes and can advise on the best grab bars etc. and install them properly. Yes, they are a great investment for anyone of any age to lower the risk of falling in the bathroom.

When we bought our home, I consulted with local agencies and connected with a CAP who suggested ways to make our home safer. As others have mentioned, the first thing he said was get rid of the glass sliding shower doors. If someone falls, it can be very difficult to get someone out especially if they are injured. It also can be much more embarrassing and painful if EMS has to maneuver the person around the doors. If you do that, do NOT replace it with a simple shower rod to hold a curtain. The first thing someone does is grab the curtain and the rod pops off the wall. Have the shower rod anchored just like you would have the grab bars anchored. This way if someone grabs the curtain, it may hold them up for a bit or pull away more slowly.

He also suggested having one bar installed vertically somewhere convenient in the bathroom to have something secure to hang onto when dressing. I have found it helpful for my husband to have something to reach up and pull up on when he has fallen on the floor.

Here is a towel rack that is similar to one he installed in our bathroom:
https://www.homedepot.com/s/grab%20bar%20with%20towel%20rack?NCNI-5

Here is a toilet paper holder with a grab bar similar to what was installed:
https://www.homedepot.com/s/toilet%20paper%20with%20grab%20bar?NCNI-5

Here is another product:
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Toilet-Safety-Frames-Rails/zgbs/hpc/3775391

As others have suggested, do your research on local resources. The main one to check is the Area Council on Aging. If one of them is a veteran, they have programs that provide the grab bars and some veterans even qualify to have them professionally installed. We had ours done before I learned we may could have gotten them done free.

As a caregiver, finding ways to minimize the risk of a LO falling and having a broken hip or other injury, would be priceless.
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Reply to KPWCSC
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I would encourage anyone that is looking to install grab bars to have the stud measurements before you purchase the bars. They come in a multitude of lengths and they should be anchored in the studs, even if they seem a bit long.

A professional will know how to install them through the tile without damaging the tiles. It is pretty simple when you have the correct knowledge and tools.

We just finished 2 ADA bathrooms with 3 grab bars each and they were all required to be installed level, no angle. Maybe Canada is different, I am just going by what we were required to do is AZ.

Our home ADA bathroom has 2 in the shower area with a built in bench, all level.
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Reply to Isthisrealyreal
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Always hire a professional
to measure the bathroom walls and obtain the proper safety bars for bathrooms or elsewhere. Using studs for secure installation. This is not a do it yourself, non professional as untrained. The cost is less than $500 for a trained professional to do the work that saves a trip to a hospital, perhaps a life!

My own doctor recommended I get safety bars for independence.
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Reply to Patathome01
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If there’s any possibility either of them would qualify for a home health evaluation, I would highly recommend it. I can’t tell you how many grab bars I’ve seen already installed in virtually useless spots. People sometimes think they can just slap a grab bar up somewhere but you need to take into account mobility, range of motion, appropriate adaptive equipment as well as stud location in the walls. Someone who understands their limitations, etc. would be invaluable in recommending placement. Yes it’s worth it. For me it was not a DYI project but our grab bars kept my husband from falling on more than one occasion, and made for safe toilet/shower transfers.
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Reply to MidwestOT
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Our bathroom used to have a pedestal sink that my wife kept trying to pull off the wall. I replaced it with a regular cabinet sink base which is much more stable and supports her much better.
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Reply to jwellsy
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YES.
And just a bit of advice...
If they have a sliding shower door remove the door and replace it with a shower curtain. The first thing a person will do if they begin to lost balance is grab onto the towel bar...not a very sturdy bar. And if they fall going through the glass is not good.
All the towel bars should be set like grab bars as well since a person is apt to hold onto the bar as they are getting out of the shower or bath.
Get a shower bench even if they do not need one now. They come in handy.
And while you are at it a device on the toilet set that has "arms" so that it is easier to get up off the toilet. (I hurt my knee a while back and I turned a walker around "backwards" and put it up against the tank so that I could easily get up without bending my knee. I needed the extra help of being able to push myself up using my hands/arms)
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JanPeck123 Jun 7, 2025
What a creative idea to use the walker!
We have an old bedside commode that was obtained when my hubby had hip replacement over a dozen years ago. I took off the lid, kept on the seat, and placed it over my toilet so I can have arm bars to help me push up to stand when getting off the toilet. I'm having my own hip pains.
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I have been googling for the best grab bars that are to be drilled in the tub for safety but most are not drillable!! I don't trust them!
I am wondering if a walk in shower will be better + ?
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Grandma1954 Jun 7, 2025
Walk in shower is great even better would be a "ZERO ENTRANCE" shower where there is no lip to the shower pan to step over.
Comes in handy when using a walker or a wheelchair. Or if you have mobility problems lifting a leg to get over the 3 inch edge.
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9" grab bars run ~ $20 each.
A stud locator runs ~$25 if you have to buy one.
I installed 6 of these 9" bars,
one at each end of the bathtub,
one inside and outside both front & back house doors.
Locate a stud, drill 2 holes and screw it on.
Takes 5 minutes each.

I also put arm rests on the toilet stool and a bedrail on my wife's side of the bed.

The fire departments near me have increased their minimum 911 response fee to $500, even if they just pick you up off the floor, they will charge you $500. Makes grab bars an excellent cheap investment.

Ask if anyone you know has a stud finder and willing to do an hours work. Call your pastor and ask for help.
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Reply to jwellsy
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Mabuhay24 Jun 7, 2025
Does HOME DEPOT sells the grab bars? Can a handyman install them!
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YES!

What do you mean expensive costs for you?

My doctor recommended safety bars in the bathroom installation, so I had mine stud installed in both bathrooms last year in CA that cost me just $400. I will be 70 later this year and feel safer with my bathing! I even have a bath seat to use that cost just $45! You see, I have osteoporosis and have to be very careful for my safety, even while currently getting monthly bone treatments.
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Mabuhay24 Jun 7, 2025
Do the grab bars really work?
If they don't I am thinking of grab bars that are drilled onto the bath tub sides.
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Roby1987: The cost would be your parents'.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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If you are worried about the expense, check you Area Agency on Aging, The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is part of a national network created by the Older Americans Act of 1965 to provide services for seniors. It provides many services to seniors - builds ramps, trims trees, makes interior repairs, etc., - free of charge regardless of income. The only requirement is that the individual(s) receiving the service are 60 years of age or older. You should be able to find it by Googling "Area Agency on Aging near me."
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Reply to pjsagebiel
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We have them in our home and my husband uses them all the time. I agree that it might be worth a call to the local senior center who may have contractors who have experience installing them. Sometimes there are contractors who volunteer for such projects, similar to Habitat for Humanity.
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Reply to Kartyjb
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What do you mean by quite expensive? This is relative to her assets.
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Reply to MACinCT
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Yes, yes, and absolutely YES, but see to it that the person installing, as RealyReal suggests, is professional and is installing the correctly. These need to be in studs and fully capable of bearing a large weight, because anyone using them is putting their full weight and dependence on them for support. Putting them up as a DIY project and having them give way when needed would be disasterous.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Grab bars are great, as long as they are installed in studs. Otherwise they can and do pull out if to much weight is placed on them.

Well worth having them installed correctly.
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Reply to Isthisrealyreal
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I have several suction-cup grab handles in a 4" x 4" ceramic tile shower. None will support my full weight. But all serve as good tactile guides when showering. Granted handles drilled into the wall would be more secure. But drilled ceramic tile is likely to shatter. That destroys the shower. Occasionally one end of one of my suction cup handles comes loose. No problem. These grips have two suction cups. Plenty of time to recover before the handle comes completely off the wall. Other good additions if the shower is large enough: a slip resistant woven fiber shower mat and a light-weight shower chair. Both available at Amazon.
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Patathome01 Jun 7, 2025
Suctions cups may loosene annd detach and therefore are unsafe for use. Should be the tight studs type to grab for support.
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Yes. They will also help you out if you shower at your parents.
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I think that grab bars in all bathrooms should be part of the building code, statistics say it is one of the top places for accidents for people of all ages. But I'm wondering who's quoting prices to you because there are plenty of reasonably inexpensive options out there, just please don't go with anything using suction cups.
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Reply to cwillie
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Have your folks asked for specific help to arrange or pay for grab bars?

Or asked for non-specific help around their home?

If so, it may be useful to check what elder services they quality for? Maybe help for assessments or equipment is available?

If available where they live, an Occupational Therapy home assessment is an idea. An OT can advise the best location for grab rails + other home modications or equipment to help increase safety.

On the otherhand, do your folks want this help? Is it part of a wider issue?
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Reply to Beatty
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Where were you thinking of installing the safety grab bars?

If it is in the bathroom area, absolutely yes. One can buy the grab bars at the home improvement stores and a handyman can install it. In fact, I now routinely make sure all my bathtub/shower areas have at least 2 in them....one to hold on to when the person is approaching the shower and another on the opposite end of the shower. It doubles as a washcloth hanger.

Do you need one by the toilet? Maybe...there is a contraption you could put on and around the toilet seat that assists people on getting up from the toilet.

If you are thinking of extra handrails by the stairs, yes. Better yet, see if you can get them to a place without any stairs.

Where else were you thinking?
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swmckeown76 Jun 7, 2025
There are attachments to toilet seats to raise them. Not sure where I got one after an auto accident (it's in my basement now). I think I ordered it on Amazon or bought it at a medical supply store.
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I have some in the bathrooms and they are great! Am always using them. They are in the shower, the tub, and across from the toilet. Very, very helpful! Highly recommend them.

Plus, it's nice knowing if I start to fall - there is a strong safety bar that I can grab onto and know it won't bend or break.
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Reply to QuiltedBear
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cwillie Jun 4, 2025
Yes! I installed grab bars for my mom but even though I'm not frail or disabled I use them all the time.
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That’s hard to answer without knowing their conditions. Would they understand what they are? A dementia patient might not. Could they grab them? That’s sometimes difficult with arthritis. Are the bars for in the shower? At the toilet? Can they manage toileting and showering by themselves now? Do you anticipate that soon they will be less mobile?

And so on.
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