Tub Grab Bars serve two distinct purposes:
1. They provide stability and assistance by giving patients something to hold on to while stepping over the side of the tub, and they provide stability and assistance with in and out of the tub.
2. Once in the tub, a properly positioned tub bar provides assistance in getting up and down in the tub safely.
It is important to select a tub bar with the correct type of mounting bracket to provide a tight and proper fit for your particular bathtub. Bars equipped with brackets that have straight parallel jaws cannot be safely installed a bathtub on which the side walls of the tub are tapered or sloped. This type of tub requires a bracket that will swivel or adjust to conform to this wall configuration.
INSTALLATION
The mounting position should be selected to provide the user with the maximum assistance. If the user has an problems with hand strength in a particular had the grab bar should be positioned for use by the stronger hand. If a Bath seat is to be used, position the bar to permit getting in and out of the tub without stepping on the seat. If the tub bar is to be used in conjunction with a wall mounted grab bar, position it so that the two bars supplement each other to provide maximum assistance.
Once the best position has been determined, be sure the mounting surfaces on the tub are clean and free of soap film, oil, or grease of any kind. Wiping these surfaces with rubbing alcohol is an easy way to get them clean. If the mounting brackets of the grab bar are lined or coated with rubber or plastic, it is also a good idea to wipe these surfaces with alcohol.
Follow, explicitly, the manufacturer instructions for installation packed with your grab bar.
If questions arise during the installation process, please call our office.
The security of the mounting should be tested by pulling forcefully on the bar in all directions. The mounting of any tub grab bar should be re-checked frequently for tightness and security. A loose or unstable grab bar is worse than no grab bar at all. The false security provided by a poor quality bar, or one that is installed improperly, can result in greater risk of injury than the lack of a grab bar altogether.
Keeping the grab bar clean and free of soap film, oil, or grease will help to retain any no-slip characteristic that may have been provided by the manufacturer.
If installed and used with care, discretion, and common sense, your tub grab bar will provide you with a good measure of safety and independence.
*** In the interest of Patient Safety we recommend hiring a professional contractor for installation***