Bathroom rails, handles, bars etc

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to make a bathroom more accessible to someone who is elderly or disabled is to add some rails and grab bars.

Having something to hold on to not only aids balance, but it also gives a feeling of security to anyone who is unsteady on their feet, or who needs to use their arms as well as (or instead of) their legs to get around.

Adding rails at strategic points in a bathroom can make the facilities in the bathroom easier to use and negotiate and can help anyone who is physically restricted through age, illness, infirmity, weight or a disability.

What is available?

There is no limit to the number and variety of bathroom rails and supports available and many, with their chrome or white finishes, are stylish and modern.

Rails come in every length from very short to very long and they can be fixed in a vertical, horizontal or angled plane, e.g. to offer support at the side of a shower, or around a wall.

More specialised support rails are produced to attach over and around the side walls of a bath, or the inside of a shower cubicle or toilet. These purpose made rails are ergonomically designed and can be fitted at height specific levels to suit their intended user. Some are mechanically fixed and some can be fitted on a temporary (semi-permanent) basis using plastic hand turns to lock the rail in place.

Equally specialised rails can be fitted around a toilet to provide horizontal handles that make lifting and lowering oneself a safe and assured process. Items like these are easily fitted and require no additional space.

Further toilet-aid handles include specially raised and moulded toilet seats that have side rails (handles) built into them. These sit on top of a regular toilet and have the dual role of increasing the height of the seat whilst providing arm supports to help in the sitting down and standing up movements.

A further advantage of rails is that they provide a resting or leaning place for a walking stick directly adjacent to the utility being used.

Materials and appearance

Traditional bathroom rails are typically white or chrome in finish and they are made of tubular metal or plastic. For most people these are more than adequate and they normally match most modern bathroom suites.

There are however some alternatives that, rather than using a tubular construction, use a very ergonomic approach to their designs. This can result in some unusual rails that look more like modern sculptures than steadying rails.

These rails have areas of varying thickness and they can also be made of soft-touch materials that some people find more tactile. This mix of larger circumference grab areas and unusual shapes can also make them easier to hold for someone with a week grip or an ailment like arthritis. They are also more comfortable (or forgiving) if someone leans or falls against them.

With such a selection of rails and support handles available it is often possible for someone with reduced mobility to retain their existing bathroom and supplement it with these clever fitting.

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