You'll have to add them to the wall behind the tub.

On the wall for sure.

That appliance plug by the bathtub is giving me the shivers!

I have the same dilemma but a shower curtain on the back wall, Where can I put a grab bar? Are there bars that fasten onto the tub?

A very good question! Is anyone making railings that can attach to the tub, as entry supports, as well as grab bar options for up higher?

https://enablemobility.com/product/security-pole-curve-grab-bar/

For freestanding tub when there is no walls on both ends they make vertical poles to be installed where you climb into the tub. The pole should be about 1 1/2" in diameter and extend from floor to ceiling. It should be also positioned it between 1'3" to 1' 6" the end of the tub and close enough to the access side so it can be reached from a seated position and so it also can be reached with one hand while operating the water controls. Just make sure the pole is ADA compliant.

We have a jacuzzi tub built into a tile surround about 10" wide. That part of the bathroom has a vaulted ceiling with a skylight, so a pole grab bar like the one shown above won't work. We can't put a grab bar into the tile, where it would make the most sense. Does anyone have any ideas? We've lived in the house five years, and I'd love to use the tub, but lack of mobility makes it impossible.

If you need a grab bar you shouldn't be using a tub. Walk-in shower.

I have a shower with a seat, but I would love to be able to soak in the Jacuzzi and use the jets.

mount to the wall, but should be installed by a pro who can anchor it securely. Depending on your age, you can contact the area office on aging and they can help you find someone qualified to install the correct bar.

You'll soon be needing a secure step to get into the tub if you need a grab bar.

In our city there is a vendor called Mr. Grab Bar who will sell and install any needed grab bars.

If you're standing on one leg to lift a leg into the bathtub you really want to make sure the leg is on the floor with a nonskid rug and not on a step.

Just because people need a grab bar to feel secure, doesn't mean they can't get into a bathtub.

I had mine installed when I broke my leg and I've left them up because I feel more secure having them around, but I searched to find the ones that looked the least medical.

Thank you, Beverly! I had an outdoor spa in our hold home, and I really miss the jets. I had to climb steps, but I had a grab bar attached to the steps for safety. It seems there should be some way to attach grab bars to this tub or the wall to make it safe. I hate not using it. Thanks for your support and creative thinking.

If you have a medical store in your area, call them. When DH broke his hip we needed to have grab bars installed in our shower. The area medical store came out and installed two 1 on the back wall and one next to the faucets. Works great.

Our medical store is overpriced and unreliable. But my husband is very handy. We're just looking for ideas because the tub is so different - surrounded by a 10" tile surround in a corner of the double sink area, with hardwood floors. The ceiling is vaulted, with a skylight. So the floor-to-ceiling poles won't work, and the bars that hook over the tub won't, either. And we're not sure about drilling into the tile. But we'll figure something out. The photos that people have been sharing are wonderful. I've never seen such beautiful and unusual grab bars!

nice tub

This is the kind of article where Houzz world really shines. I like a shower when I'm in a hurry in the morning, but a soaking bath after spending hours in the garden on a weekend. We have a Connecticut house of some historical significance so aesthetics are important, but so is practicality and safety. Surely some of these ideas can help us find our own unique best solution.

I am not as agile as I once was, but still quite active. Still, entry and egress from the tub is tough on my knees. I have developed a specific way to do these maneuvers safely. It may sound weird but I tried out and practiced several options (with someone at my side just in case) when wearing sneakers and with the tub empty. After a few tries I found just the right sequence of movements such that I always had a safe plan B if I were ever to slip. Now I get in and out in a few seconds, and it looks random, but it's actually a carefully choreographed maneuver that exactly fits my body mechanics and my bathtub.

The pretty grab bars also opened up new ideas of how to make a new vessel tub in our (partly rental) Hawaii condo safer without making it look like a futuristic medical facility. Japanese guests often ask specifically for a tub, even though the condo also has a luxurious walk-in shower. Something like that pole thing, while not especially pretty, could be put in place when we are in residence for our two months in the winter, and then stowed in the storeroom the rest of the year. My concern is partly the aesthetics, but also potential liability in a rental unit. The tension mounting might not be sufficient to prevent an accident if it became loose, and having it there for paying guests might be construed as an attractive nuisance or some such.

Thanks to all of you.

Something like this might look nice with the style you have if you can find it in chrome and can help when stepping over the edge as well. Is a hot tub handrail.

I would think if you didn't need a permanent installation, you could use clamp-on grab bars and just shim out under the lip of the tub to make it thick enough using either Port orford cedar or pressure treated wood.

Hi there. Reviving this discussion. I have the same issue, except it's not a permanent need. I have an old clawfoot tub and want to make sure it is safe for my 86 year old mom to use, when she visits for a week this Christmas. She is wobbly, so I need to get something.

I was thinking the same as @davidgreer suggested, but am not sure that will work. Just wondering if anyone has tried that, and / or has any other ideas that don't involve a permanent installation. I have fir floors in the bathroom and would prefer not to drill holes in them.

Thanks!

The suction bars are for balance only. You should not put any weight on them. They do slip down and lose grip on tiled surface. I would not recommend them for your 86 year old mom. You may want to
See if a neighbor would be willing for your mom to use their walk in shower.

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your thoughts. I am coming to that conclusion too. The bar I am looking at clamps on (not suction), but I don't want to take any risks. I'm going to pick one up tomorrow and see how sturdy it is. I am also looking at a seat to put in the tub, and a step to get in, and an anti-slip mat. But even with all of that I feel nervious about the set up.

If you move the tub away from the wall, a horizontal grab bar on the wall would work and double as a towel bar.

For the wobbly 86 year old who is visiting for a week, it may be possible to buy a visitor pass to the local YWCA which will have accessible showers. Our local Y has daily passes for $15. If you belong to a gym or fitness club, a guest pass may be fine, too.

Thanks for your thoughts. @NanKni it's not possible to move my tub. @apple_pie_order we are on the same page. I decided to get a punch card for the gym at the Hotel Grand Pacific. It's lovely there and feels a lot safer. Also, there's a great pool and sauna if she wants to do that too!