Grab Bars 
Grab bars offer a safe means to improve your independence. Involving a therapist and/or experienced installer will help maximize the use, safety, and effectiveness of a grab bar. However, the do-it-yourselfer can also take advantage of these safety additions. Put them anywhere in your house to help:
- Get up a step
- Exit/enter a shower
- Get on/off a toilet
- Get up/down from a bed or chair.
Grab bars are usually attached by 1 of 4 ways.
- Bolts on grab bars are permanently attached to a surface with screws. Grab bars can be attached to almost any surface such as dry wall, tile, brick, and stone. Some level of experience and the proper tools are necessary to make sure the bar is secure and can be used to support your balance and your weight if necessary.
If you do not own the property where you want or need extra support then you may not be permitted to make this permanent modification. However, there are other options. - There are pressure based grab bars that either clamp on to the sides of a tub or are vertical poles that go floor to ceiling . They are movable, if your needs change, and should be checked periodically to see if it needs to be retightened. They are helpful to get in and out of a bath tub and sometimes to help get up/down from a toilet if the bathroom layout is appropriate. The vertical poles can be placed anywhere you are having difficulty transferring sitting to standing.
- Suctioned cupped grab bars attach to solid surfaces only. They will not work over any porous surface such as dry wall or grout lines. The suction cup is usually engage with a lever on the bar and are surprisingly secure. However, it should be removed and re-engaged periodically as the bar will loosen over time. They are great for balance but should be avoided for heavy weight bearing and pulling.
- Bed grab bars are usually attached to a platform/rails that are slid between the mattress and box spring.
