A grab bar beside the toilet is only as strong as the wall behind it. The bar will feel solid in the store and still come loose the first time your mother pulls on it at 3am if it was never tied into the framing. Work through the steps in order, and do not let anyone use the bar until the pull test passes.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Gather before you start

You need a stud finder, a level, a pencil, a drill with bits for the wall type, the mounting hardware that came with the bar, and a second person to hold the bar while you set the screws. Read the instructions in the box before you drill anything, and check that the hardware matches the wall material you are about to drill into.

Find the framing

Scan the wall where the bar will go, both above and below the planned height, and mark each edge the stud finder shows. Confirm by drilling one small test hole where the stud should be, then checking that the hole meets solid wood. If you cannot find framing at the spot you need, do not force the bar into hollow wall. Stop here and ask a contractor, or see the local help page for St. Louis for options. A bar in the wrong place is a fix you will pay for twice.

Set the position

Ask your mother to sit on the toilet and then stand up, and watch where her hand naturally lands on the wall. Mark the bar so it sits where that hand goes, not where it looks neat on the wall. Check the level before you mark the holes.

Drill and secure

Drill the pilot holes at the marked points. Attach the bar with the supplied screws into the framing, and tighten them until the bar sits flat against the wall with no play. If any screw spins without biting, pull it out, move to a fresh spot in the framing, and start that hole again. Do not overtighten to make up for a weak hole.

Run the pull test

With the helper standing by, pull on the bar hard in each direction she would use: straight down, outward toward the room, and sideways toward the wall. Repeat the test an hour later, since loosened screws often show up after the first try. Only after the bar passes both checks should your mother use it, and only with someone close by for the first few nights.

Write down

Write where the framing was found, the height of the bar, the hardware used, and the names of who did the pull test and what the result was. Keep the paper with the instructions. If the bar ever shifts, stop using it and repeat the pull test before it goes back into service.