Brief Summary
This project contributes to the advancement of ShowerSteady—a novel, modular, reversible, and adaptive grab bar system for the bathtub/shower to increase safety and independence when bathing. This innovation addresses a key problem for bathroom adaptive equipment—installing assistive technology in the presence of acrylic/fiberglass shower inserts can result in extensive and expensive home modifications, sometimes for just installing a single grab bar.

Objectives

1. Fabricate several functional prototypes of ShowerSteady
2. Perform standardized strength and fatigue testing in a lab environment to ensure structural integrity, performance, and safety
3. Conduct virtual and in person focus groups assessing the form and function of ShowerSteady with older adults, caregivers, clinicians, and home modifiers
4. Conduct a small-scale field evaluation by installing ShowerSteady in older adults’ homes for 1-2 weeks to obtain real world use feedback

Results
Pending

Community Impact
Launch the development of a novel technology to help older adults bathe safely and independently with minimal home modifications to their bathrooms.

Partners