Contractor Jim Christian has launched a campaign to persuade insurers to cover bathroom grab bars as standard safety fittings for seniors.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - A Carmichael contractor is spearheading a campaign to have bathroom grab bars added to equipment covered by Medicare and other insurance programs.

The object, said Jim Christian, is to reduce falls among seniors.

“Eighty per cent of senior injuries occur in the home,” explained the former Air Force emergency room technician. “More than a third of these happen in bathrooms. They're usually the most severe – broken hips, limbs and head injuries often result. Statistics show most could be prevented by the placement of bars”.

Christian (66) last year launched an initiative called ‘Safety Bars For America.’

Insurers currently deem the items “home modifications” or items of “personal convenience” for which coverage is not generally provided. “I say they’re not just convenient,” Christian argues, “They prevent serious injuries.”

With a campaign of outreach to policy makers, Christian hopes to have the hardware classified as medically necessary and covered by insurance for seniors. Both consumers and insurers would benefit, he reasoned.

Hands on help. Contractor Jim Christian’s campaign underscores the safety value of grab bars.

“They cost as little as $30 per bar. Coverage for falls amounts to a huge portion of Medicare costs. Grab bars don’t just prevent injuries, they could also save billions of dollars’, says Christian.

For American insurers, the annual cost of senior falls is around $80 billion. It’s expected to climb to $100 billion by 2030, with the ageing of baby boomers. If grab bars were placed in senior bathrooms nationally, it’s estimated insurance costs could be reduced by 30 per cent.

Over 40 years, Christian has installed hundreds of the devices. When clients could not afford the work, he has done it for free.

“I’ve had people tell me how this prevented an accident,” Christian said. “Some say it saved their life."

Christian notes that staircase handrails are now mandatory in new California homes.

“They’re seen as critical for safety,” Christian said. “For someone with impaired sight or balance, support in the bathroom makes equal sense. My experience as an Air Force emergency technician showed me how devastating falls can be. My building background has schooled me in ADA compliance.”

“I care about my community. It’s natural for me to do everything I can to make people’s lives safer.”

The contractor has found a friend in District 7 Assemblyman Josh Hoover, who is considering a resolution to raise awareness for Christian’s cause.

“He has an incredibly important mission,” said the legislator.  “He cares deeply about reducing fall risks. Having aging parents myself, I’d like to get behind this. We all want to keep people safe and healthy as possible for as long as possible. I’m excited to work with him in raising awareness of a tool that can really help.”

Christian is also nurturing affiliations with other advocacy groups to make his campaign voice louder. “I’m reaching out to insurance companies to create studies to prove the efficiency of grab bars, he said. “Every doctor or nurse I’ve spoken to has agreed this equipment would make a huge difference to senior safety. That’s what I’m working for.”

For information on the Safety Bars for America initiative, visit www.sbfamerica.org