Safety
and Style Converge in the Bathroom
The hit song “Splish
Splash” that topped the music charts back in the 1950s was obviously
not written by anyone concerned about bathroom safety. “Splish Splash,”
wrote the then yet to be labeled baby-boomer lyricist, “I was taking
a bath long about a Saturday night. A rub dub, just relaxing in the tub,
thinking everything was all right.Well I stepped out of the tub, I put
my feet on the floor, I wrapped a towel around me and I opened up the
door, and then splish splash! I jumped back in the bath. How was I to
know there was a party going on?”
With no mention of a grab bar, tub seat or bathtub anti-slip
treatment, one can only imagine the rockin’ and a-reelin’
that resulted from jumping back into that soapy and slippery tub. And,
what about the accident that could have happened on a tile or marble floor?
Reading between lyrics, one can also surmise that the lyricist had a youthful
lack of respect for long-standing statistics indicating that most accidents
at home happen in the bathroom.
Drawing attention to an increased use of universal design
principles that promote bathroom safety, the 2004 Universal Design and
Accessible Living Conference in Orlando, Florida, drew hundreds of attendees
to hear about how everyone, not just ageing baby boomers and a growing
number of older citizens, could benefit from homes that support the simple
and typical daily activities of living throughout our lives. Others that
will benefit from more accommodating residential spaces with universal
designs that adapt to changing needs are parents of toddlers, as well
as those who are coping with a debilitating disease or with impaired balance
or vision.
Presenting a line of innovative and stylish grab bars at
the conference, Abbie J.W. Sladick, president of Abbie Joan Enterprises
and Great Grabz, was looking to make homebuilders, remodelers and interior
designers aware of her grab bars that act as both decorative and safety
features in the bathroom. Great Grabz, an outgrowth of Sladick’s
Abbie Joan Enterprises, a home remodeling business, was launched in January
2004. Enjoying a remarkable early success with a 2004 Product Innovator
Award from Kitchen and Bath Business magazine, Great Grabz was featured
as a top innovator along with nationally recognized and long-established
companies such as Kohler, Sharp and Villeroy & Boch.
A certified ageing-in-place specialist (CAPS) trained remodeler,
Sladick whole-heartedly enjoys opportunities to design safe and beautiful
interior spaces that improve access and use for people
of all ages and physical abilities. “I embrace the American Society
of Interior Designers slogan ‘safe spaces in beautiful places’
because I believe that everyone should wake up and feel comfortable and
safe in their own home,” says Sladick.
Adding that the bathroom is usually the first and last place
that we spend time in every day, Sladick believes that “institutional”
looking grab bars are a constant reminder of the ageing process.“Great
Grabz safety bars are a reminder of style and the only people who will
recognize their function are the ones that we choose to tell,” she
said. Sladick’s muse for Great Grabz was a graying client who emphatically
announced, “I’d rather slip than put an ugly grab bar in my
shower.” Sladick’s answer to the client’s response was
to design something that didn’t look like a grab bar “Even
my 94-year-old grandmother never allowed a grab bar in her bathroom,”
quips Sladick who points out that Great Grabz is her chance to make people
feel good and safe.
The decorative line of Great Grabz accessories is strong
enough to support 250 pounds.The towel hooks, towel bars and toilet paper
holders that all double as safe holds are made from recycled aluminum.
Most popular finishes are polished brass, polished chrome and brushed
aluminum. Other finishes include polished gold, antique silver, satin
gold, gloss blue, red, yellow, and others. Everything in the line can
be custom finished as well. Bars range from 5 inches to 42 inches with
custom sizes and finishes available.
Safety features help homeowners to avoid accidents. More
importantly they assure quality of life. Statistics show that falls are
a serious health problem among older adults. Annually, of the more than
one-third who fall, 20 to 30 percent suffer moderate to severe injuries
that reduce mobility and independence. Since the average health care cost
of a fall injury in 1998 was $19,440, it’s safe to speculate that
the costs of bathroom safety features are well worth the investment.
Other bathroom safety tips include making sure that the lighting
at night is adequate. This can be accomplished with a decorative but reliable
nightlight, under-cabinet lighting or subtle rope lighting installed where
the wall meets the floor. “You can also purchase a light switch
that glows when the lights are switched off,” adds Sladick.
Though accent rugs add color and flair, they can also be
bathroom hazards for people using walkers, canes, crutches or those wearing
leg casts or the ever-popular open-toed boot commonly pre-scribed for
patients recovering from foot surgery. A great substitute for an accent
rug is a decorative tile insert.
High on Sladick’s accessible and safe list is the installation
of a zero-threshold shower also known as a barrier-free shower. “We
install a sloped floor so clients don’t need the common metal barrier
which requires shifting balance from two feet to one,” Sladick says.
When it comes to showers, Sladick also suggests a hand-held
shower, shower seat and thermostatically controlled water temperatures
to avoid scalding. “I also recommend timers on exhaust fans,”
she says, “because it’s typical for moisture to gather on
the floor after the exhaust fan is shut off.”
By creating a safe environment in your bathroom, you’ll
be able to sing along with a few more of these nostalgic song lyrics from
“Splish Splash.” “A-well-a, splish splash, I forgot
about the bath. I went and put my dancing shoes on.” You’ll
keep on rolling and a-strolling, reeling with the feeling, movin’
and a-groovin’ and maybe throw a dancing party on your own living
room rug.
Thankfully, things have progressed since the ’50s.
The sumptuous master bathroom suite is far enough away from the living
room that you’ll have time to wear more than the towel warmed by
your towel warmer – which has a lot to do with safety’s companions:
comfort and confidence.
Great Grabz and Abbie Joan Enterprises
239 435-0677
www.greatgrabz.com
Written by Linda Sechrist
Photography by Brynn Bruijn
