Rehab Devices That Make Life Easier

Rehab Devices That Make Life Easier

 

We tend to take for granted the ability to perform life's daily activities.  As a Physical Therapist, much of my treatment time is spent educating patients and their families on what they can do to make their lives less stressful, particularly when performing activities such as bathing, walking, changing position, and toileting.  Today's device is the Grab Bar.

   

These can be purchased at your local hardware store and can be installed in your shower to assist you with safely entering and exiting the bathtub or shower.  Many people rely on their bathroom towel rack.  However, many times leaning on this with your body weight  may pull it out of the wall, leading to an injury due to falling to the floor.  Suction cup grab bars are also sold.  However, I have heard both good and bad about them.  Many times they have to be re-applied every few weeks due to loss of suction.  It is because of this that I would not always trust the suction grab bars to support someone who has a very difficult time getting in and out of the shower and places a great deal of their body weight on them. 

 

Grab bars can also be used to assist getting in and out of your garage...

Or getting on and off of the toilet...

 

If you have a family member who presents with generalized weakness, is recovering from a surgery or is medically compromised, Grab Bars may make their life easier and will decrease their risk of future injuries.