We have just installed a 2 man Jetta tub and wanted grab bars for it. Since we used oil rubbed bronze faucets, I had problems finding what I wanted. A local plumbing store was going to order them for me when I found them at Lowe's. I had asked repeatedly and was told they didn't have them in ORB. Well, this is called Venetian Bronze or something like that. It is close enough. It is a Moen product and is ADA approved with a 500 pound pull capacity. They only had the 16 inch one, but I was going to check into a longer one. Thanks for the link above it has them there! We just got this bathroom finished a couple of days ago. Now, granted this tub is not a handicap type one, but we wanted the bars for practical use now and need in the future. The small one is placed vertical on a stud at the edge of the tub. I already know that I want and need one lower. They gutted my other bath this week and the tub/shower is being replaced with a shower that will be handicap accessible--but we are adding glass doors that can be removed later if needed. This shower will have the grab bars and I think we are going to add one beside the toilet in there. Both new toilets are the ADA higher ones and I love the one that is new to master bath. The master bath is large enough to get a wheelchair around in, but the hall bath was very inaccessible. We found this out during the past few years as our parents health failed and we had them here for extended times. We decided to do this bath remodel Christmas when my Dad's health failed to the point that he could not remain at the assisted living. We were going to move him in with us and remodel the bath. However, we lost him in late January. We looked at the overall picture and realized that although we have now lost all four parents, we will have a need for this at some point. So, we went ahead with the plans--just took a little more time doing it. We also have taken out the small hall bath door and they are installing a much wider pocket door so that a wheelchair can go through it. Although I do have solid wood vanities in both baths, we decided to leave them. They will be able to be replaced with a pedestal or something more handicap assessible if needed. I am adding a link to pics of the new master bath. You can see the bar on the right side of the front of tub. Again, it is not a tub that you would think of in this way, but wanted to share the grab bar there. We will add another one. The shower will be much more practical and I will post pics when they finish it. http://s191.photobucket.com/albums/z203/printersdevil72/Master%20Bath%20Pics/

As far as grab bars go my gut take on all of them is this; They look to industrial and remind me of public toilets - for the most part, cheap and hospital like. I sourced an excellent supplier here in Canada that can custom make them for me in any size. These custom grab bars are pricy but worth the money. I also received a package from GreatGrabz showcasing their complete product line and this company has some tasteful good looking grab bars - Are all these ADA approved - I'm not sure. Can they stable you if you slip or loose your balance? I bet yes. I install extra blocking for all my clients in the 50 - 70 year age range and we discuss this in concept stage. There is no need to install grab bars until you need them, but at the first sign of dizzy spells, new medication or an injury a grab bar can not only keep you in your home longer - it can save your life. Order your grab bars so that they, your glass door handle and towel bars all look the same - this adds to the upscale look and a cheap grab bar doesn't cheapen the whole ensuite. If your building a shower bench it's nice to pull up with a grab bar as you get older. I made the mistake of installing my last one on a 45 degree angle and this is not to code. I offered to change it (my cost) but my client loves it as is. I can't get my 83 year old Nana to allow me to install more grab bars in her shower (I fixed a botched install a number of years back when she hired a Medical Supply Store to upgrade her Burnaby home.) - she wants them when she is old she says.... :) If you can upload a picture of your bathroom layout it will be much easier to advise on best location. The ADA guidelines are very specific and have been time tested for sure. Extra grab bars or hand held location for getting in and out are key. If you have a shampoo niche a place to grab and hold on will reaching for shampoo is a good idea as well. If you want the best - remove the curb, build a wet room with level access shower entry, add in grab bars and built it right the first time. If you build your next bathroom to last into your golden years you will be so happy you spent the extra $5,000 grand or so to make it perfect. I have replaced showers with 4" curbs that clients could not step over - think about that a 4" curb in your shower is to high to get in. To shower with this bad hip involves being driven to the local pool to shower in a public wet room. Not me... I'm 41 and building my curbless shower as we speak. For younger and older couples alike who have the time and desire to shower together - Grab bars can only open up new options in bathing department - I'll leave this where it belongs - with your imagination! Here is a link that might be useful: Great Grabz

I just spent a long time going over pictures of grab bar placement for our new tub. I didn't spend a lot of time on the ones on the back (long) wall because we didn't put one there. Like the OP, the grab bar is a "one day it may be useful" thing. In any case, the recommendations for the long wall were almost all diagonal placements to assist users both sitting and standing. Some grab bars come with a textured surface to help with the slippery surface. In our tub/shower, we were torn between placing a vertical bar at the faucet end of the tub or the foot. Most illustrations (google "grab bar placement") show either one at both ends or faucet end only. We discussed it a bunch and did a survey of whoever we happened to be talking to and finally decided to go for the foot end. The reasoning is that once you get the shower going, you really don't want to enter the tub at the end directly into the spray. So that's where it is. Long decisions for something that seems easy on the face of it.

I have seen smaller ones, but only online. If someone had small hands the very big ones would be a problem. Such as children and petite women. Mine are big, fat grab bars ... I'm going to search out smaller bars. Part of the problem may be if there is an escutcheon that covers the plate with the screws No, no, the water is puddling under the bar itself, not the escutcheon plate. For smaller grab bars look at "assist bars"; they don't meet the definition of grab bars because they are a smaller diameter than the standard. Wait a minute ... grab bars and assist bars are different items? I didn't know that. The Delta assist bar you reference above is attractive and is the type of thing I'd like to use. Is an assist bar shorter than a grab bar? I'm thinking a shorter bar would be just fine near the toilet, but we'd still want a long bar across the back of the shower. Regardless, I'm glad to know a second term for which to search. I did read one thing that reverberated with me: A grab /assist bar is only as good as its mounting. I'm thinking a shorter /more narrow bar is just as good, assuming it's in the right spot where you can reach it ... if it's well-mounted.