Diwali, Mickey mouse and grab bars

Sunday morning, in the middle of cooking lunch, l had a sudden flying visit from two Indian friends who moved away some time ago. They make a point to make a detour if necessary on their way somewhere else, to stop in, and so it was today.

In the briefest time -- they were already late somewhere -- G and R stopped in to wish me a happy Diwali, with a hug, yes, they're on my hugging list,and two bags, one stuffed with treats. G loves bags and usually seizes the chance to give me them.

Then after what husband,R, calls the traditional selfie, they were off again, leaving me a very happy lady. They take trouble to stay in touch and I so appreciate that. And I have a new project bag also a new carrying bag. 

If handsome Son visits this week which he might, he's got treats waiting.

Then I got on with lunch, a pumpkin carrot soup with spinach heated up to wilt, and seedy bread with lovely citrusy hummus.

After I took the picture, I noticed the definite Mickey mouse effect.

For the benefit of people not yet bored about grab bars I thought I'd show you a few around here 

 

Main bathroom, for when Handsome Partner used a shower stool. This bar is right where he needed to grab in order to stand and get out of the tub. He modeled it so I could mark the tile for the contractor. And it's the right height for me standing.

The stains are from a previous unsuccessful attempt with high suction cups on a non ADA bar, which kept falling off and left permanent stains on the tile.  

Here's the other bathroom where I had the bar installed for back when I took tub baths, to help me to my feet. It's still useful for showering anyway.

I installed the clamp handle on the side myself,  needs no tools, and it's great for helping me step out of the tub, highly recommend.

And here's a strategic one installed right where I have to make a left turn at the head of the stairs. I marked the spot where my hand would reach. This is a tricky point, very helpful to have something on that turn.

Now we've turned and are going downstairs.

And here are grab bars opposite the regular banister rail. Two because handsome partner needed to hold the bottom turn on the second one as he climbed up. One long one wouldn't have worked. It's very helpful to have something on both sides of the stairs.

At the foot of the stairs you see Carol hooked onto the small hallway bar, because right there is a step down to the living room.  And there's  a downstairs half bathroom door on the right, at right angles to the front door. The bar is also useful for hanging masks and visitor parking hangtags. 

All these placements we measured and modeled and marked for Mike the Contractor. We bought the ADA designed bars from Medicare approved local suppliers who advised us, and Mike studied the ADA guidelines before he installed the bars.

There are a lot of decorative products out there which will not work even to steady a dry hand, let alone a wet one. Don't buy from name brand home decor plumbing sources. They don't usually carry the approved designs, which aren't as pretty, but are functional and tested.

Okay, that's my PSA for the day. Back to Trollope and treats.

Happy day everyone,  try to stay safe, mentally and physically! Eat treats, it's a good time.

This is a PSA. Safety at Home

Speaking of grab bars and general safety, I thought I'd give you a guided tour.

I have a townhouse with two full and one half bathrooms, and a step down to the living room. Two full flights of stairs.

About eighteen years ago I started installing grab bars. I only use ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act) or your regional equivalent.  They're designed to have the best nonslip knurling, the part you grab, the best engineered distance between wall and bar, the best gasket, and this feature, see below, which I learned about yesterday. 

Don't shop online other than from a medical supplier, because there are loads of bars not engineered this way, not suitable for screwing into tile, no matter what they claim. Bathroom fitting people don't have to have ADA compliant bars. They're more decorative than useful, I think. Anyway a word to the wise. Back to ADA compliant 

See how the screws favor one side? That's to enable at least two to be attached to the stud. The usual wide triangle used for railings is evenly spaced around the plate and it's likely only one screw can attach to a stud. This is vital to know, since a person falling and reaching for a bar can tear it off the wall otherwise.

The reason I originally started way back then installing bars was after Handsome Partner fell in the bathroom, grabbed the towel rail, which tore out of the wall and hit him on the head on the way down. 

Next day I contacted Mike the contractor,  got three bars, one per bathroom, from a medical supplier, and he researched the approved installation needed, and replaced the towel bars with the safety ones.

As you see, on the left they still work as  towel bars. 

Later HP needed an assist to help navigate the step up from the living room to the downstairs bathroom, it's now also a handy parking place near the front door for masks, sunglasses and visitor car tags.

And bars in the shower to enable him to stand up from the shower seat. We measured this to fit his reach. It's on the right of the top picture.

Then stairs became more difficult and I had bars installed on the side where there was no banister rail.

The reason for two bars rather than one long one was that he needed to grip the curve on the upper one to pull himself up. Then the bar at the top gave him the ability to turn onto the step up on the right there. That's the one Mike reinstalled yesterday, higher, to suit me.

More recently I had Mike install this to help me get out of the bathtub in the other bathroom

On the left you see the assist that clamps on the side of the tub which I installed myself.

I kept all the bars in place after Handsome Partner died, figuring sooner or later I'd need them myself.  

Eventually he became quadriplegic, so the bars weren't in use, and I moved on to learn the skills of the Hoyer lift. All these stages enabled us to have a life, and him to be home to the end, as we both wanted. 

Back to the present, I notice that even younger, able people tend to use the bars because they're there. Including a couple of friends who decided to install one near their own sunken living room, after realizing how handy mine in the front hall is, to alert visitors to the step down, averting a dramatic headfirst entrance.

Anyway for what it's worth, this is a tiny fraction of the adaptations we made over time.  In case it's useful knowledge, here it is!

Later today, knitting group, more cheerful!

Also while Mike was here, he the wood lover and worker, geeked out over the darning egg and dibber Joanne gave me. The dibber, he tells me, is white oak, the egg possibly beech. He loved them, handled them for ages after I explained their function, admired the engineering. 

Happy day everyone. Eat chocolate rabbits, stay safe.

It's still all Ukraine no matter what Putin says.