Handrail for Disabled Person

[John Brown]

Hi,

We have family coming out to visit this summer and one of our guests uses a wheelchair.

I'm looking to put two handrails in the shower but I can't remember seeing any in the DIY Stores.

The sort I'm looking for have a white finish and look like they will stand getting wet.

The rest of the adaptations I can make from scratch.

We are based between Limoges and  Mont Lucon

Thanks John

[Simon]

I bought one in Bricomarche for my Mum at Easter, it was with the isle with the shower mats.

[John Brown]

Thanks Simon,

Although we have never seen it on our travels there appears to be a store just the other side of Montlucon, according to their website, so we will give them a visit

Cheers

[Catalpa]

Larger towns have pharmacies that have a sideline in disabled living equipment so that's another option for you.

[cooperlola]

I use TACM - they have an on-line store (although the ordering process is a little lugurbious) and are very helpful:

http://www.cybermatrice.net/site1/site/gd/accueil11_1.asp

(See under "Toilette")

[Pierre ZFP]

I knew a chap once who had a disabled wife.  He got towel rails from Ikea, the large diameter tube ones and fixed them in strategic places.  He was/is a plumber and had them in the bathroom too.  They worked great and were a fraction of the price purpose made of hand rails.

[Catalpa]

There're only great if they're built to take the force applied by

someone putting a lot - or even all - their weight on them repeatedly

and if the fixings are capable of withstanding that sort of use too. The

space allowed for the hands is greater compared to that for a towel too so a towel rail is not not necessarily as grabbable in an emergency.

I'm not saying that Ikea towel rails should not be used - and fixings

can always be changed or strengthened - but something that was designed

to carry towels vs something that may be expected to take the weight of a

full-size person are two quite different things. 

[cooperlola]

Also be careful if they're for a shower that they have a non-slip grip because smooth ones (as many towel rails are, for instance) are lethal when wet.

[Jo]

Don't bother with the so called suction ones either, my sister used one of those when temporarily disabled by breaking her ankle. It was hit and miss as to whether it stayed up or not!!!![:(]

[Chancer]

Bricoman sell proper ones intended for taking body weight - barres de relèvement and compared to specialist suppliers they are dirt cheap, they cost from six to fourteen €uros