Recommended Monthly Product

It is not in the purview of The National Resource Center for Supportive Housing and Home Modifications to endorse any particular product. We do, however, make available to visitors to our web site the opinion of several individuals who we feel demonstrate an expertise in the area of home modification and are willing to share their knowledge with us.

Hinged grab bars, also called hinged arm supports, can provide stable gripping surfaces where there are no walls to which a traditional grab bar can be attached. EHLS has had good success using the Linido product that is now offered by Otto Bock Reha. The hinged arm support has a flat steel plate approximately 4 inches by 11 inches with holes at the four corners for attachment to a wall surface. That flat plate also holds a hinging mechanism, which allows a looped grab bar to be extended horizontally in space, or to be folded up against the wall to which the flat plate is attached.

The looped grab bar design offers two levels of gripping surfaces, approximately 7 inches apart. This unit can be wall mounted, but it does require very solid structural blocking inside the wall. Because the grab bar extends into space and is cantilevered from the wall, it is imperative that all four-lag bolts that hold the unit to the wall surface must be anchored into solid wood members. The hinged arm support can also be used with a floor-mounted console, which is an upright 3-inch by 3-inch post with a flat steel plate, which is bolted to the floor.

The hinged arm support is then attached to that upright post. The use of a floor mounting console eliminates the need to remove the wall surfaces to provide the solid backing required for the wall mounted installation, since most floor structures are sufficiently solid and strong to receive the floor mounting console. That console allows the hinged arm support to be installed at various heights up and down the console. Otto Bock's product number for the floor mount is L26.08.000. The hinged arm support is useful when sidewalls are not available for traditional grab bar installation, and when handgrip surfaces are needed in areas of free floor space. These units are best used for providing lateral support and assistance with the sit to stand function. There is no mechanism which locks the hinged arm support in the down or horizontally extended position, although the unit can be retrofitted to provide such a lock. The Otto Bock hinged arm support is available in four different lengths of approximately 21 inches, 24 inches, 27 inches, and 30 inches. Those lengths are officially listed in metric measurements ranging from 600 millimeters to 900 millimeters. They are available in stainless steel or powder coated finishes in several different colors. Surprisingly, the stainless steel version is substantially more costly than the colored versions. We use the 27-inch length most often, and its Otto Bock product number is L26.03.080. Several options are available, including a fold down support leg, the floor mount console, a padded armrest, and a toilet tissue holder. The 27 inch hinged arm support has a list cost of $135.00 in the colored variety and $175.00 in stainless steel. The floor mount console has a list price of approximately $100.00 in color and $160.00, stainless steel. Overall, we have found the Otto Bock products to be of good quality and we use them often. Otto Bock Reha can be contacted by phone 1-800-328-4058, at fax, 1-800-962-2549, or at www.ottobock.com.