I have fairly inncuous grab bars and they don't look institutional. Perhaps it is because they are in oiled bronze finish which matches the rest of the hardware which is ORB and copper. I spent a lot of time selecting the fixtures for my bathrooms but my actual shower handle is a very innocous rather small handle. It is oil rubbed bronze and I don't think it registers any more than the hinges do. I am curious as to why one would want a long bar of any kind on what I assume is a frameless shower door though. Part of the attraction to me of my frameless shower is that it creates an open space which allows the beautiful tile that i spent an obscene amount of money on to show off. It also creates a sense of light and space. I wouldn't want to hang anything in front of the shower doors because it would be visual clutter. I previously had a hideous sliding glass door with a towel bar on it. So I am wondering why the aesthetic and functional reason would be? I understand why one wants every aspect of one's expensive remodel to work together as I did sweat the details.

I purchased, the 24 inch Keeney wave designer grab bar. There is no way to disconnect the wall flange from the bar that I can find in order to install. Any ideas?

I would absolutely want grab bars attached to the studs. Also I might even want additional grab bars installed so that they are accessible wherever one is in the shower including accessible when one is entering and exiting to help with balance. The reason why you want them attached to the studs is that they are there for a worst case scenario when someone has literally lost complete balance and is dead weight on the bar. Not having them in the studs might be find when they are used to assist a bit or to steady someone but there could be complete failure when they are being grabbed - especially if someone is larger/weighs more.

It is safest to have both: a vertical grab bar next to the place where people will enter and exit; and an horizontal one to hold onto while showering or to help you rise from a seat. If you have glass for the entry wall, this can make using the vertical grab bar difficult or impossible. Placement with a glass door is also difficult as one is often reaching around a door or a slim glass partition to reach the bar. For this reason, a shower curtain may be a better bet. Another solution for assisting someone while not jumping into the shower with them is to get a combination of bifolding glass “caregiver doors” that are 3 to 4 ft high. Caregivers can reach around them to help a seated person wash, rinse, and such. The top half of the shower opening is covered by a short shower curtain that overlaps the doors below them (keeping the water inside and the caregiver dry) and this curtain may have several places to open in order for the person inside to remain in a warm enclosure, yet allow the caregiver to reach in from several angles. Given the danger of trying to lift someone in a wet, slippery environment, many people use shower chairs on wheels that can be wheeled into and out of the shower area. They have an opening in the seat to allow a person to wash the peri-anal area and rinse. Arms, head rests, and seatbelts can provide a more secure seat. The bather may be wheeled out of the shower to be dried and to stand or transfer in a safer, dry state.