Like talk shows and taxes, safety grab bars are soon going to be a part of everyone's daily life. Whether they are welcomed as necessary aids or cussed at as an obstacle may be up to the individual. However, there is no stopping the fact that they will affect all of our lives in one respect or another.

Typically, when you think of safety grab bars, they are stainless steel pipes with a satin or tooled finish in various lengths. Due to the ADA awareness and natural progression within the industry, safety grab bars have evolved to meet the needs and requirements of nearly all situation, in many colors, materials, and options.

For example, a customer of mine used a portable bar around her toilet. These common bars are adjustable and mount to the fixture using the same holes and bolts for the seat. Her husband felt caged in because these bars were always in place, felt cold, and weren't very attractive. Although he loved his wife very much and understood her needs, the bars were a root of resentment which made him feel guilty.

I was called in to help see what could be done to resolve the dilemma. I pointed out that the safety grab bars of today are no longer just converted pipe and can meet her needs without upsetting him or giving him a case of the guilties. I was able to show him a line of safety grab bars that came in 13 designer colors and that were fabricated from reinforced stainless steel with a non-slip, smooth nylon surface. The nylon finish helps to eliminate the constant cold to the touch surface, and the colors give off a nice warm feeling. This left the problem of them being in the way.

The manufacturer of these bars had a set that swung up and out of the way. It also had an attached paper holder option. This made him elated and he had them installed.

As a side benefit, the swing up arm enabled his wife to get her chair closer and made transfer for her much easier. There were also matching accessories such as tub transfer seats, pitchable mirrors, and portable shower heads to match. Eventually, their entire bath was converted to the new style safety grab bars. It not only added to the all-around warmth of the bath but also allowed him to confess his guilt and resentment that he had kept bottled up inside for so long.

It is only natural that guilt and some resentment accompany situations such as this, no matter how much therapy or group time is taken. It's nice to know that some of these problems can be resolved in such a positive, non-threatening manner.