Sometimes we all need a little help when moving around the home, which is why grab rails are a great mobility aid investment to make for yourself or a loved one.
What is a Grab Rail Mobility Aid?
A grab rail is durable plastic or metal bar that helps to increase your accessibility and safety in and outside of your home. You may have also seen them in other public places such as disabled toilets, hospitals or care homes.
Where to Install Your Grab Rail?
A grab rail mobility aid can be installed in any room of your house and also externally by a front or back doors to help you move around with more ease.
Click the brochure below to see the different types of grab rails that can help you around the home and more importantly where to install them.
How to Fix Grab Rails Around the Home
It is important to make sure that your grab rail is fixed safely and securely into your wall so that you are able to easily move around your home.
The first step in this process is to consult with your occupational therapist and to hire a professional to fit a grab rail as this can become a tricky process.
However for people wishing to fix it themselves, we suggest following the guidelines that have been published by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. This highlights key safety features that are needed when fitting a grab rail. For instance, the metal part of your grab rail has the potential to become live and should therefore be earthed before the installation process begins.
Furthermore, if your metal grab rail is being installed into a bathroom or a wet area, then you must make sure that the metal part of the rail does not touch the electric cabling or screws.
On the other hand, some metal grab rails do not need to be earthed. These include:
- Non Conductive Coatings: If the metal grab rail has a non-conductive coating and a snap-over cover plate that provides an insulating layer over the wall-fixing screws.
- Plastic Seats & Caps: When the screws are fixed in place by plastic seats and covered by a plastic cap that isolates the screw from touching the metal grab rail.
- Non Conductive Materials: If you are fitting your grab rail to a non-conductive material, such as brick or timber, which has no conductive parts running through it, such as metal pipes.
If unsure on the installation of a grab rail, please seek the advice of an Occupational Therapist who will be able to fully assess the most suitable option to meet your needs.