What to Consider in a Handrail for the Elderly

They call it the golden years. When life starts to slow down, you can appreciate the little things in life. One thing that may slow down is mobility.

Whether it’s for you or someone you care for, here are a few tips for your new handrail from planning to installation.

What is the Best Materialfor a Handrail for the Elderly?

For this, you may feel stuck in the “illusion of choice”. This is when there are too many options, so, you ultimately don’t decide or feel unsure of your choice. 

Let’s simplify it for you (pun slightly intended). There’s wood and metal for railings. Now, all these have their benefits, but let’s go through the pros and cons of each.

Galvanized Steel

• Pros: They last a long time, corrosion-resistant, can be powder coated which is more effective than painting. Easy to grab on to for better stability during use.
• Cons: Requires a metal blade to cut to size. However, this can be avoided with the proper measuring and purchasing a pre-sized handrail kit.

Aluminum

• Pros: Naturally rust-resistant, great for all types of weather and locations. Similar to galvanized steel, it’s easy to grab on to during use.
• Cons: Can be expensive, limited pipe fittings availability, harder to weld if you plan on welding, also requires a metal blade to cut, but can also be avoided with measuring and purchasing a handrail kit.

Wood

• Pros: Doesn’t get as cold as metal and is cheaper.  
• Cons: Weak material that is prone to rotting and needs consistent maintenance like staining. Harder to grab onto and could lead to splinters.

All this needs to be considered when buying and installing a handrail. This is why we advocate for metal pipe and fittings handrails. 

These handrails can be easily installed by anyone, even someone who is elderly. They are easy to grab onto, which is crucial for ease of mobility going up and down stairs/ramps. They are durable to withstand continued use and all seasons, making for less maintenance as the years go by.

What Type of Handrail Do the Elderly Need?

Now, what do I mean by type? We just discussed material, what more do you need to know?

Well, there’s a bit more to think about when planning for a handrail for someone elderly.

Is your handrail for a stair or a ramp?

A stair handrail is going to be slightly different from a ramp handrail. A stair handrail may only have one or two rails, a top rail and a mid-rail. A ramp handrail will have at least two rails, with one of them being a bottom rail to prevent anything from slipping underneath it. 

Do you need a smooth and continuous handrail?

A smooth and continuous handrail isn’t “required” if the handrail is for a home. However, it is the best option for someone elderly because they can easily glide their hand along the top rail for continuous stable use.

Do you want an offset or inline handrail?

Offset or inline goes along with the smooth and continuous handrail. An offset means that the top rail is slightly offset from the handrail posts. This creates a little bit more room between the handrail and any surface like a wall. Additionally, there is the inline option that, as it says, is in line with the posts and uses fittings that mount inside the top rail to keep the handrail smooth the whole way through.

Do you need handrails on both sides of a stair or ramp?

Now, do you need handrails on both sides of a stair or ramp? It depends. I know that’s not the answer you’re looking for but let me explain.

You don’t legally need a handrail on both sides of a stair if it’s in a home. You do, however, need handrails on both sides of a ramp if the rise is greater than 6 inches. Having a handrail on both sides will be better because then an elderly person can safely ascend and descend the stairs or ramp on both sides.

Retrofit a Handrail to an Existing Railing 

I’ve discussed multiple different materials and types of handrails to install from scratch. But what if you have an existing wood or composite handrail that just isn’t cutting it anymore?

Well, what if I told you that you can keep your current wood or composite railing and retrofit a metal handrail to it? Pretty neat, right? 

Retrofitting a metal handrail to an existing railing is an excellent solution because you get to keep your current railing while upgrading the handrail. This creates an easier railing to grab on to while keeping the look of your old railing.

If your existing railing is starting to become weak and unstable, this type of solution is not going to fix that concern. So, we recommend only going down this route if the current railing is still durable but could use a handrail upgrade.

Where Do You Need to Install a Handrail for the Elderly?

Location, location, location. There are lots of places to install a handrail. Various places throughout a home could use a railing to ensure you or your loved one is safe. A few places include:

• Front Steps
• Interior Garage
• Porch
• Inside Steps
• Garden

These a just a few places where installing a handrail can benefit the mobility of an elderly person. If you want to see different locations and projects we’ve done in the past, check out our blog on various handrail projects we’ve done for the elderly.

How to Install a Sturdy Handrail for the Elderly

Everything we’ve discussed are various ways to improve the mobility of elderly people around their home. And all of this boils down to stability and sturdiness.

Someone who is relying on their handrail to keep them upright needs to have a high level of trust in their railing. So here are a couple of tips to help increase stability.

Install your base flanges perpendicular to your stairs or ramp. While a base flange can go either parallel or perpendicular. Installing them perpendicular will create a sturdier base for your handrail.

Install a shorter handrail or have shorter distances between posts. Having a shorter gap between posts will help with stability. We recommend not going over 6 feet between posts to maintain stability, but the shorter the better.

Below is a video of the installation of one of our Simple Rail kits. They incorporate everything we’ve discussed in this article, like material, layout, and ease of installation.

In Review

These are just a few things to consider when buying and installing a handrail for the elderly. If you have any additional questions about our handrail kits or specific customizations you’re looking for, please reach out to our project specialists!