[Michael T]

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County

[RicodJour]

On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County

Any elder care organization in your area will most likely be able to
refer someone who specializes, but any competent carpenter with a
modicum of tile experience should be able to do it without problem.
Look in the yellow pages under Carpenters and/or Home Improvement.

You may want to look into the plastic and aluminum chairs that sit in
the tub/shower. You're probably already aware that the transfer into
and out of the chair is the dangerous part, and the seat should be
designed and installed to make the transition as easy as possible.
You're right to want competent installation.

R

[NGDirect]

"Michael T" wrote in message
...
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does
this kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County


The big box stores generally offer installation services. A small job like
this is likely to be sub-contracted out to the same handyman she is trying
to avoid. You might also call a reputable bath remodeling company or supply
store that might be able to give you a reference.

[Smitty Two]

In article ,
"Michael T" wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?


The kind that can afford plenty of liability insurance. The grab bar
doesn't even have to rip out of the wall for the lawyers to come
crashing in: if she even misses the thing as she's lurching for it on
her way down, someone's gonna be doing ergonomics calculations down to
the thousandth of an inch. Height, mounting angle, coefficient of
friction of the wet bar.

It's like my electrician friend said about working in mobile homes: "I
wouldn't even change a light bulb in one."

[DD_BobK]

On Jul 22, 9:26*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
*"Michael T" wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

[Higgs Boson[_2_]]

On Jul 22, 7:44*pm, RicodJour wrote:
On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

[Michael T]

"Higgs Boson" wrote:

By all means contact "elder care" organization(s) in your community.
A friend of mine had grab bars installed in tub and shower w/o charge
by such an organization in our city. ILook in your city (San Diego?)
w/key words like "elder care install grab bars without charge San
Diego".

___________

Thanks for the suggestion.

This looks promising.
http://www.seniorsafetyhomecare.com/

[Evan[_3_]]

On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County


If you want it installed correctly so it can take real weight, meaning
it is not
simply installed with wall anchors, that usually involves cutting into
the wall
to add structure to attach the grab bars to at the desired height...

It is not a "screw it up to the wall and be done with it" type
project...

~~ Evan

[mm]

On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:12:07 -0700, "Michael T"
wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County

Recommendations from the rehab department of the hospital she is in?
Or any rehab department, especially one that has some old patients?

Possibly a recommendation from a medical supply store that sells such
things.

A carpenter can certainly do the shower grab bar. (I made the holes
too small for the screws for my mother's, and after she died, I had a
heck of time getting the screws out before I returned the apartment.
FWIW that grab bar was just outside of the tub, in an non-tiled area.
I think she insisted on that because she didn't want me ruining the
tile. And no, while I suggested putting it in the tub and said it
could still be repaired, or even maybe left as an improvement, wrt
herself, my mother told me what to do, not the other way around.)

I'm not really acquainted with fold-down shower seats. A lot of
showers are big enough for a moveable, unattached shower seat. Is
there some chance that will slip and move while she's trying to sit
down?

[mm]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:12:25 -0700 (PDT), Evan
wrote:

On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County


If you want it installed correctly so it can take real weight, meaning
it is not
simply installed with wall anchors, that usually involves cutting into
the wall
to add structure to attach the grab bars to at the desired height...

It is not a "screw it up to the wall and be done with it" type
project...

~~ Evan

It's true that wall anchors are no good, but if the screws are in a
stud, that's enough. Someone should make sure that they are.

[Una]

Correct installation of grab bars and shower seats requires that they
be anchored to the wall studs, unless the wall behind the tiles was
reinforced during construction to accomodate future addition of grab
bars.

It is important to have the work done by someone who understands this
and takes no shortcuts. Toggles and other devices that secure a grab
bar to sheetrock behind tile are *unsafe*, because full weight on the
grab bar can cause the sheetrock to fail and the person to fall.

Una

[Michael T]

"mm" wrote:

I'm not really acquainted with fold-down shower seats.


It appears there are both fold-down and fold-up models.

Here's an example of one that has a 558 pound capacity. My friend is over
200 pounds who has had to postpone knee surgery because of diabetes issues.

Wide Padded Fold-Up Shower Seat (Capacity 558 lbs..)
http://www.1800wheelchair.com/asp/vi...roduct_id=2525

I found four more shower seats at Home Depot online.
http://tinyurl.com/23ozvoc

[RicodJour]

On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

BTW, there are removable grab bars that are held on by suction cups.
I was _very_ skeptical about how well they would hold until I actually
got my hands on one.

http://www.amazon.com/Safe-er-Grip-s...f=pd_sim_hpc_1
They're a nice addition to a permanent grab bar, but not a
replacement. They're great for adding some more piece of mind and
another place to hold on to help keep your balance. The tile should
be perfectly clean and the suction cups entirely on one tile and not
lapping over onto grout lines.

R

[notbob]

On 2010-07-23, Michael T wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

As my mom's caregiver, I'm faced with similar problems. Although I
haven't decided it's necessary, yet, I've researched the issues.
Having already dealt with some problems of the aged, I've learned to
trust my local "medical equipment and supply" store. They will know
who is licensed and/or can properly install the equipment (grab bars
and hand rails) they routinely sell. The quote above is how they are
listed in my phone book.

If you, or she, has good insurance and a good doctor, many of these
expenses can be "prescribed" and covered.

nb

[mm]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 07:25:08 -0700, "Michael T"
wrote:

"mm" wrote:

I'm not really acquainted with fold-down shower seats.


It appears there are both fold-down and fold-up models.

Here's an example of one that has a 558 pound capacity. My friend is over
200 pounds who has had to postpone knee surgery because of diabetes issues.

Wide Padded Fold-Up Shower Seat (Capacity 558 lbs..)
http://www.1800wheelchair.com/asp/vi...roduct_id=2525

Thank you. Yeah, this is meant for someone heavy, who would break
the little chair my mother used with no problem.

I found four more shower seats at Home Depot online.
http://tinyurl.com/23ozvoc

This one too. weighs 20 pounds. My mother's was aluminum and plastic
weighed maybe 3 poounds. My mother probably only weighed 120 by then
or less, down from 140 at most when she was 50. She was 88 when she
died, and in pretty good health until 85 or more, and never any mental
weakness like Altz. etc.

[GROVER]

On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does this
kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County

As usual Googling "Handicap access shower seats" will bring up enough
information to bogle the mind.
The skills required to mount a grab bar or seat do not require a
degree in rocket science. Unless the ADA device has the drill pattern
is spaced so that it coincides with the wall stud spacing some
additional blocking may be required. At the very least the installer
will need to be able to drill through tile and use corrosion resistant
hardware. Angling the grab bar will compensate for stud spacing.
Earlier posters have provided enough information to solve your
original problem.

Joe G

[Han]

"Michael T" wrote in
:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone
(she prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and
give her an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down
shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business
does this kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County

I just broke my leg badly, 16 days ago in Holland. I'm 65, 200 lbs. Now
back home in Jersey. I have a wonderful spouse who helps me. The
shower/bath has a grab bar. We bought a seat through Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product

This works great for me, but I am quite able to hop around on the good leg,
with a walker (crutches felt very insecure for me), and can get up and down
the stairs with a little assistance, slowly bouncing on butt, so to speak.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

[Oren[_2_]]

On Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:25:32 GMT, notbob wrote:

If you, or she, has good insurance and a good doctor, many of these
expenses can be "prescribed" and covered.

Excellent point. My wife had frequent pain in her hip area from a
cyst / calcium bone spur (?) growing on her hip.

After surgery she needed long term use of a spa, daily.

The doctor wrote a script for the spa, with a detailed letter. We
bought a spa and it qualified for a tax write off.

OP "should" have his friend discuss this with the doctor.

[RicodJour]

On Jul 23, 12:13*pm, GROVER wrote:
On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

[mm]

On 23 Jul 2010 18:07:37 GMT, Han wrote:


This works great for me, but I am quite able to hop around on the good leg,
with a walker (crutches felt very insecure for me), and can get up and down
the stairs with a little assistance, slowly bouncing on butt, so to speak.

I broke my leg when I was 9, and rehab wasn't a big deal then, but
they did spend 10 or 15 minutes showing me how to use crutches, at
least 5 of them on how to go up and down stairs. At the time, I
thought it wasn't obvious and without the instruction, I thought I
would have had a hard time. (Of course this 2 dayhs after the era
when I thought if you broke one leg, they gave you one crutch, and if
you broke two legs you got two crutches.)

When I broke my other leg at 24, I appreciated the instruction even
more, because it was a foreign country and no one offered to teach me
anything. One day I did 4 miles on my crutches, going from one movie
theater to another etc. on a route that had no buses.

otoh, THERE'S PRObably nothing wrong with butt-bouncing.

--
Best regards

[Higgs Boson[_2_]]

On Jul 23, 12:12*am, Evan wrote:
On Jul 22, 10:12*pm, "Michael T" wrote:

An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone (she
prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and give her
an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down shower seat.

[Steve B[_10_]]

"NGDirect" wrote in message
...


"Michael T" wrote in message
...
An elderly friend is in the hospital and has asked me to find someone
(she prefers a business over a handyman) who can come to her condo and
give her an estimate for installing a shower grab bar and a fold-down
shower seat.

I'm not sure where to start ... for example, what kind of business does
this kind of work?

Location: Large city in San Diego County


The big box stores generally offer installation services. A small job
like this is likely to be sub-contracted out to the same handyman she is
trying to avoid. You might also call a reputable bath remodeling company
or supply store that might be able to give you a reference.

That would be my suggestion. I have found that these specialty stores
generally use real craftsmen because they want their stuff done right, and
don't want any bad publicity. They are generally surprisably reasonably
priced for quality work. They're in, they're out, they're gone, and they
stand behind their work. We had a glass shower door installed. The guy on
the original measurement got it wrong. It took them about four trips from
their office 20 miles away before it was right, but it ended up perfect, and
not a dime more. The guy wouldn't even take any gas money. Good advice,
NG.

Steve

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