Being able to unwind and relax in your humble abode is paramount for you to live a comfortable lifestyle. However, this can become increasingly difficult as you begin to age into your senior years and find that the way your home’s interior living spaces are structured and designed doesn’t exactly accommodate your basic and everyday needs. Ask yourself these self-reflective questions: Do you find yourself struggling to climb a flight of stairs more often than not? Is your toilet seat just too low for you to sit atop of? Do you find it painful to stretch yourself over the divide just so you can step into your bathtub? Whilst you are showering, are you always worried about slipping up and getting injured? These are all valid questions as you are bound to age in place, and you have every right to become aware of how you must remodel your home so you don’t have to fret about considering the option of moving into a nursing or senior care facility. In fact, just by renovating your house with a Keller aging in place service, you’re already halfway there. It opens the possibility of hiring a personal attendant or health care aid to pick up the slack.
At the end of the day, you don’t have to vacate your home sweet home you worked so hard to afford all these years, nor do you have to downsize–simply ask for upgrades, for example, from a grab bar installation to wider doorways, stair lifts, ramps, bathtub doors and more. It’s best to be proactive and inquire about handyman services for seniors as soon as possible so you can transition smoothly into old age and aging in place. By relying on a certified, licensed, and fully insured Keller handyman, you will discover they take care of all your elderly needs with remodeling ideas to accommodate your daily eating and bathing routines. The expert and experienced team at Mr. Handyman of Keller, Roanoke, and Alliance is well-equipped with the skillset, tactics, and know-how for handyman services for seniors, with a grab bar installation being just one of our numerous areas of expertise.
Why Is It Important To Best Prepare For Your Elderly Years?
Aging in place is whereby a person has the health, social support, and services necessary to live safely and independently in their home and community. More than ever, homeowners are opting for Keller aging in place services within their homes. They participate in home renovation projects earlier on rather than being transitioned to senior care facilities. This makes sense, considering that these care facilities, although well-intentioned, are not a place you’d call home. Not only are the elderly uprooted from the warmth, familiarity, and comfort of their homes. But a nursing home enables isolation and loneliness as you have lesser contact with loved ones, including family and friends, further worsening your physical and mental wellness.
Our Knowledgeable Keller Grab Bar Installation Services
As a homeowner, if your goal for aging in place in Keller is to stay put in your humble abode for your living arrangements, Mr. Handyman wants it to be as effortless as possible for you to go about our clients’ daily lives. The wise adage is true–it’s better to be safe than sorry. Although it’s difficult to envision yourself or your loved one growing old and weary, you can make it slightly easier by getting a trained handyman to tweak loose nuts and bolts to perform a total overhaul of various parts of the house. Generally speaking, a vertical grab bar is installed on the back end, and a horizontal grab bar is installed on the side walls of the shower. Although most grab bars are pretty generic, they can be customized somewhat during a grab bar installation. Here are the grab bars available through our Keller handyman services for seniors:
Standard Versions Of Grab Bars
Although the sole purpose of a grab bar is to support those who have difficulty lowering themselves into a seated position or rising to a standing position, some types of grab grabs may be more accommodating for Keller aging in place than others based on how they are affixed. Here are some of the options we consider for a grab bar installation service:
Wall Mounted: The most basic and standard version for aging in place is mounted to the wall using screws and anchors and has two varieties of being either a vertical bar or an angled bar. Most grab bars are made of stainless steel or chrome material too. A vertical bar is mounted to a sidewall of a bathtub or shower area, allowing for extra assistance for getting into and out of the tub, shampooing, shaving, and washing without being worried about slipping and losing your balance. An angled bar is mounted on the back wall to provide the same amount of support.
Partial Wall-Mounted Grab Bar: This serves the same purpose as its wall-mounted counterpart but with a catch–it’s attached to the bathroom wall, but it only fastens on just one end instead of both sides. They operate on a hinge of sorts which is directly installed within the wall of the shower area or above the bathtub area. They are more flexible in the sense that a partial wall-mounted grab bar is extendable, giving you easier access.
Standard Types Of Grab Bars
Bathtub Mounted: This type of grab bar has clamps that can be adjusted and mount the base of the grab bar’s base snugly over the outer edge or rim of the bathtub. Generally, there are three different kinds of grab bars for your bathtub for aging in place, which are vertical, horizontal, and diagonal.
- Vertical: These are the most common places for a bathtub and allow for a stronger grip, help keep your balance and take up less wall space. They are great for those who tend to get hand cramps, especially for older persons with arthritis.
- Horizontal: These allow for the most body movement, allowing you to rotate easily in place, and are durable enough to allow you to stand, making it easier to get in and out of the tub, especially if you use a wheelchair. The only downside is that for a grab bar installation, a horizontal grab bar has to be affixed to a specific height, so there is less ability to customize. If you are susceptible to getting hand cramps and wrist pain, too, they also tend to contort your hands. Plus, they don’t provide enough leverage for all of your body weight as you move from a standing to a seated position, so that’s something to be mindful of.
- Diagonal: These are the most versatile for a grab bar installation as they are accustomed to varying height levels and allow for more flexibility in how your hand grasps the bar. And so they are easier on your wrists and are less likely to cause any strain. Plus, they allow you as an individual to face multiple directions. With a diagonal grab bar installation, you can effortlessly transition from sitting down to standing up too. But just beware, given the skewed direction of the grab bar, your hands can still slip unless they have a special groove.
- Suction: These are becoming more common for shower areas as they are easier to install compared to physically mounting the grab bar using nails, fasteners, and drilling. They serve the same purpose as a mounted grab bar installation and provide maximum stability and balance for the dependent person. Typically, they are attached to the wall using suction cups. The only downside is that they are not designed to support your full body weight, and many consider them to be temporary rather than permanent solutions for Keller aging in place and more so reserved for specific situations whilst traveling or visiting a guest. Plus, they cannot be attached to drywall but require a non-porous surface, such as a tile backsplash.
- Folding: A folding grab bar folds down and flips up when it’s not actually being used, so it’s a big space saver, especially for more tight-knit areas near the bathroom sink and toilet, and they are a great option, especially for smaller washrooms. This type of grab bar is ideal near your toilet as its streamlined shape provides extra support compared to just the conventional and standard grab bar for aging in place, especially if you are being transported from a wheelchair to the toilet.
- Free Standing: a free-standing grab bar is a floor-to-ceiling physical rod that is usually located beside the tub or shower to help with entering and exiting. There are also special varieties available for your toilet, as the enclosure sits around you, and the toilet encapsulates the space to help with sitting down and standing up.
Why We Are The Expert Choice For Keller Aging in Place, Handyman Services for Seniors
Everybody deserves the right to age in place in a dignified approach. It’s best advised not to become complacent about aging in place and any handyman services for seniors, including a professional grab bar installation. Our certified Keller handyman team will show up uniformed and prompt for your service appointment, and we can even accommodate last-minute emergencies on weekends and holidays.
We are proud to be Keller’s leading home improvement services provider. We always take the time to genuinely listen to our client’s pain points and offer effective solutions. If you are indecisive about a home modification so you can adapt more readily as you age or are lost, questioning where to even begin, feel free to schedule a no-obligation consultation with Mr. Handyman. We can customize a solution for you based on your personal preferences and budget. After conducting an initial inspection of your home’s interior and exterior, we will walk you through the phases of upgrading every room. Still, we understand that some of you may be hesitant to commit, considering the number of scams popping up these days, which take advantage of those who are vulnerable. That’s why we offer only transparent, upfront pricing and a one-year parts and labor guarantee, so if anything happens to break down, we will return and make the proper adjustments you need only ask.
Frequently Asked Questions Keller Grab Bar Installation
What Is A Grab Bar & Why Is It Essential For Aging In Place?
One of our most popular requests for Keller aging in place, especially for shower and bathroom modifications, is a grab bar installation. A grab bar is an elongated and physical handle you can grasp to help maintain your balance and lessen your fatigue whilst you are standing. Normally they are intentionally designed to catch the weight of the person leaning, allowing for more stability for those persons with limited mobility and/or any physical impairments they may have. It is also designed for fall prevention purposes. A grab bar is usually found located near toilets to allow a person to use the restroom without the assistance of a personal caregiver and allow for a sense of self-sufficiency and privacy. They are also spotted near the entrance and exits of shower and bathtub areas which are otherwise slippery and allow the person to maintain their balance as they groom themselves. Let’s face it we cannot avoid the reality that as you age, your bones become brittle, your muscles feeble, and your wit more fragile. If you happen to injure yourself, for example, your bones won’t mend as readily as they once did. If anything, best preparing you and your partner for aging in place in Keller is mandatory rather than optional. Plus, there are just so many safety hazards that can go wrong in a house that is falling into disrepair too old age or not. A grab bar installation, for example, is incredibly useful because it provides extra precautionary measures for your safety as you climb into and out of the tub and as you stand in the shower or sit on the toilet seat. As added security, they will readily prevent any accidents and hazards, such as slipping and injuring yourself. Best of all, a grab bar installation is incredibly durable and can hold up to 250 pounds. Especially if you are physically impaired, a grab bar installation will allow for more wheelchair access.
Should Grab Bars Be Vertical Or Horizontal?
This depends on the area of the house you need a grab bar installation for. For example, for a bathtub and shower area, you require both horizontal and vertical grab bars. The horizontal grab bar is used to get into and out of the tub, and the vertical bar is needed for extra support so you can turn the faucet on and off. Both work in tandem to offer you the maximum amount of mobility, stability, and overall balance for aging in place.
How High Above The Floor Must A Grab Bar Be Mounted?
Approximately 33 to 36 inches is a good measure for gauging how high off the ground a horizontal grab bar installation should be placed. Alternatively, a vertical grab bar installation should be placed around 39 to 41 inches above the floor.
What Is The Best Location For Grab Bars In Shower?
As previously mentioned above, for aging in place, there should be at least two grabs installed in your bathtub or shower area–one horizontal on the back wall about 8 to 10 inches from the outermost edge of the tub and another vertical on the side wall slightly past 30 inches from the base of the tub.
Mr. Handyman Will Improve Your Quality of Life With Expert Handyman Services For Seniors–Reach Out Today!
Mr. Handyman of Keller, Roanoke, and Alliance, we empathize with the elderly who are aging in place and only want what’s best for them. Don’t let the naysayers convince you that a nursing facility is the only option as you become weaker with old age and struggle to care for yourself. By signing up for a residential home improvement service, you can transition calmly, safely, and more independently into your senior years.
Whether you’re in Keller or nearby areas of West Lake, Haslet, or Roanoke, go ahead and reach out to one of our courteous customer contact care representatives at (817) 409-8196, who will gladly book your consultation or service appointment. Whilst you are there, ask about our other handyman services for seniors, from furniture assembly to door repair, shower remodeling, and guard and handrail installation on your staircase. We eagerly await to hear from you!