Grab handles for the shower

Grab handles from Villeroy & Boch

With the right equipment, your bathroom can remain a place of relaxation and well-being, even in old age. Grab handles for the shower are an important feature of any bathroom that is designed to be suitable for elderly people. Special handles and handrails ensure that older people or individuals with restricted mobility can enjoy greater comfort and safety in the bathroom. 

What kind of grab handles are available for the bathroom?

Every person is different – this also applies to older people. These differences do not only encompass each person's height or weight, but also their motor skills, muscle strength or the nature and extent of their disability. To meet all specific requirements, there are therefore a number of different grab handles for the shower. In most cases, it is advisable to have the shower handles installed on the wall by a professional. This gives you peace of mind that they will not slip or even detach from the wall. 

These shower handles can run horizontally, vertically or diagonally and are simply held on to. Handles should be installed at a height of approximately 85 centimetres. People who use a shower stool or shower chair should also be able to rely on an additional bathroom grab handle installed around 28 centimetres above the seat. 

These handles are not primarily designed to hold on to, but rather to support the user's body weight. They are therefore very sturdy and must be securely mounted on the wall with screws and dowels. Support handles are mainly used next to the toilet and the washbasin, but are often also helpful when showering. They are particularly useful for individuals who use a walking frame or wheelchair.

These shower handles are a combination of horizontal and vertical handles and offer a high level of flexibility and safety while showering. 

Many shower handles are based on a combination of different handle types. In the middle, a particularly sturdy shower support rail serves as a vertical handle, which is connected to a horizontal support rail at the bottom. Often, the folding seat is also hooked onto the horizontal rail.

The shower handrail is a long vertical handle that often runs across the corner and is sometimes connected to a sliding shower support rail. By installing a shower handrail, you will have a grab handle within reach at all times while showering. A folding seat can usually be attached to the shower handrail.

Removable grab handles: There are also removable shower handles on the market that are attached by means of suction cups. The benefits of these grab handles: They do not need to be screwed to the wall and can be removed and taken away if necessary – for example on holiday. However, removable shower handles also have some disadvantages – for example, the wall surface must be firm, non-porous and clean to ensure that the suction cups are attached securely. In addition, a TÜV-approved safety indicator should definitely be installed to warn the user if the vacuum under the suction cups is no longer strong enough to ensure a secure hold. However, since such a warning may also be overlooked, a permanently installed grab handle is usually preferable in terms of safety. 

Floor-to-ceiling rails: This straight rail runs from the floor to the ceiling and is mainly used in combination with a shower stool. You can use the long rail to pull yourself up or hold on to it while you sit down. 

Diese Griffe sind nicht in erster Linie zum Festhalten konzipiert, sondern zum Abstützen des Körpergewichtes. Sie sind daher sehr stabil und müssen sicher mit Schrauben und Dübeln an der Wand montiert werden. Stützgriffe kommen vor allem neben dem WC und dem Waschbecken zum Einsatz, sind aber oft auch beim Duschen hilfreich. Sie sind insbesondere sinnvoll für Personen, die einen Rollator oder Rollstuhl verwenden.

Diese Duschgriffe sind eine Kombination aus horizontalem und vertikalem Griff und bieten viel Flexibilität und Sicherheit beim Duschen. 

Bei vielen Duschgriffen kommt eine Kombination aus verschiedenen Duschgriffen zum Einsatz: In der Mitte dient eine besonders stabile Brausehaltestange als vertikaler Griff, unten schließt sich eine horizontale Stützstange an. Häufig wird an der horizontalen Stange auch der Klappsitz eingehängt.

Der Duschhandlauf ist ein langer vertikaler Griff, der häufig über Eck verläuft und manchmal mit einer verschiebbaren Brausehaltestange verbunden ist. Mit dem Duschhandlauf haben Sie in der gesamten Dusche jederzeit einen Haltegriff erreichbar. An dem Duschhandlauf kann meist ein Klappsitz befestigt werden.

Removable grab handles: There are also removable shower handles on the market that are attached by means of suction cups. The benefits of these grab handles: They do not need to be screwed to the wall and can be removed and taken away if necessary – for example on holiday. However, removable shower handles also have some disadvantages – for example, the wall surface must be firm, non-porous and clean to ensure that the suction cups are attached securely. In addition, a TÜV-approved safety indicator should definitely be installed to warn the user if the vacuum under the suction cups is no longer strong enough to ensure a secure hold. However, since such a warning may also be overlooked, a permanently installed grab handle is usually preferable in terms of safety. 

Floor-to-ceiling rails: This straight rail runs from the floor to the ceiling and is mainly used in combination with a shower stool. You can use the long rail to pull yourself up or hold on to it while you sit down. 

Modern shower handles are made of plastic, stainless steel or aluminium and are waterproof. With an attractive and discreet design, high-quality shower handles blend effortlessly into your bathroom and are a high-quality accessory for extra comfort when showering. When choosing, pay attention to the weight for which the shower handle is approved. If possible, try out the shower handles beforehand – they should fit well in the hand and provide a secure grip, ideally with a non-slip coating or profile. 

View grab handles

Grab handles for the elderly

Grab handles and support grips in the bathroom increase comfort and provide a secure hold when showering and drying. They are versatile aids with many uses. 

  • Standing up: Standing in the shower for a long time can cause fatigue or dizziness. A smooth, wet floor with a layer of soap residue is often slippery. The shower handle ensures additional safety when standing. 

  • Getting up: A shower stool makes personal hygiene in the bathroom easier for older people. A safety handle provides useful support when getting up from a shower stool. 

  • Sitting down: A handle is also helpful when sitting down on a shower seat from a standing position. 

  • Entering the shower: Entering a modern walk-in shower is easy and convenient. Since walk-in showers are at ground level or have only a low threshold to the floor, accessing them with a walking frame is also no problem. The risk of falling is lower than with high shower trays with a raised ledge, which were common in the past. However, for people with impaired mobility, accessing the shower can still be challenging, especially if they rely on a walking frame or wheelchair. A handrail makes it easier to enter the shower and thus provides extra safety. 

  • Exiting the shower: Turning off the water, getting out of the shower, reaching for the towel and drying yourself – all of this can become more difficult to coordinate as you get older. A handle inside the shower – and ideally also in front of the shower – will provide good support here. 

Do grab handles count as medical aids?

To be eligible for a medical subsidy, evidence that the support rail is necessary must be provided – for example, via the health insurance company's medical service or a corresponding care level. Whether or not the costs are subsidised, a safety handle is a discreet everyday aid that enables greater safety, comfort and well-being in the bathroom – and not just for the elderly or people with restricted mobility. It is an essential feature of an accessible bathroom