Every product on AskSAMIE has to earn its place. We are occupational therapists, so we do not stock things because they sell well or because a manufacturer paid to be featured (we don't accept payment for placement). We stock what actually keeps someone safe and independent at home. Here is exactly how we decide, and why that process protects your family.
Why our selection process matters
When you are caring for an aging parent or a child with a disability, you do not have time to test twelve grab bars or return a shower chair that never fit the tub. You need the right answer the first time. A wrong product is not just wasted money. It can mean a fall, a lost bit of independence, or a parent who decides the bathroom is too hard and stops bathing on their own.
We built our process to take that guesswork off your plate. Everything we sell is curated by clinicians who have spent decades adapting one home at a time, so the recommendation you get is the one we've given our own patients.
Everything at AskSAMIE passes the test
Before a product ever reaches our store, it has to pass three checks. If it fails even one, we do not carry it.
1. It solves a real problem
It is not a nice to have. It has to make a real part of daily life easier, safer, or more independent, so you know it is worth buying. If a product is clever but does not change someone's day in a meaningful way different that standard solutions, it does not make the cut. No bells and whistles for bells and whistles sake over here!
2. It is easy to use and easy to set up
You are already stretched thin. Simplicity lowers stress, so we choose products that solve the problem in a simple way. If a device needs a thick manual you don't have the bandwidth to decode or an installation you cannot manage, it is the wrong tool no matter how good it looks.
3. We have actually used it
This is the one most stores skip. Every product has been trialed by us, with our clients or in our own lives, so we know it holds up in a real home and not just on a spec sheet.
The reason for 3 brand promises
Those brand promises comes from what we believe. We prioritize honest, quality recommendations based on safety, effectiveness, and whether a product solves a real problem, rather than simply on profit margins. Our goal is to remove barriers to accessibility so every person, at any ability level, can keep their dignity and independence at home. When a product does not serve that mission, carrying it would not be worth it to us, period.
How to choose the right adaptive equipment: your questions answered
These are the questions families ask us most often related to adaptive equipment. Here are straight answers from an OT point of view.
How do I know which adaptive equipment my parent actually needs?
Start with the specific task that has become hard, not the product. Is it standing in the shower, getting off the toilet, gripping a fork, or walking to the mailbox? Name the exact moment that feels unsafe, then match a tool to it. This is the purpose of SAMIE our assistant that can help you do just that. Tell it that moment and it will walk you through matching the right tool.
Also confirm whether the need is short term, like recovery from surgery, or long term, and measure tight spaces like the narrowest doorway before you buy. If you are not sure, an occupational therapist can help you pinpoint it in minutes. You can talk to an OT by calling us at 1-800-644-3612 or booking a session with someone local right here.
Do grab bars have to be screwed into studs?
For anything you will lean or catch yourself on, the goal is yes. A properly mounted grab bar anchored into wall studs is the only kind rated to hold a falling adult's body weight. Look for a bar rated to at least 250 pounds. Do not use a towel bar as a grab bar, since it is built to hold a few pounds of fabric, not a person. in the case that a stud is not at the place the grab bar needs to be, there are brands that make special grab bar anchors. However, we'd recommend someone skilled at construction do that installation to ensure its done well.
Are suction grab bars safe for the elderly?
Suction bars are not safe as your main support. Suction can release without warning on textured tile or with changes in moisture and temperature. You need to be able to rely on a grab bar if you lose your balance. You can't plan to lose your balance at a time that the suction decides to stay put. You need it to be stable at all times. If your parent needs to pull up or is at real risk of falling, choose a permanently mounted grab bar or floor to ceiling pole if you don't have a clear place to screw in a grab bar.
What is the difference between a shower chair, a shower bench, and a tub transfer bench?
A shower chair or stool gives a place to sit inside a walk in shower. A tub transfer bench is the right choice when someone cannot safely step over a tub wall, because they sit on the outside end and slide across into the tub. If getting over the tub edge is the scary part, you need a transfer bench, not just a shower chair. A shower bench is a made up term that combines the two types of devices because adaptive equipment is confusing. 😆 Shower chair for a walk in shower, tub transfer bench for a tub - that's the key to remember.
Does Medicare pay for grab bars, shower chairs, or other home safety equipment?
Mostly no. Unfortunately Medicare only pays for services that are deemed medically necessary based on specific diagnoses. Since grab bars and other home modifications can be useful to all people, regardless of a diagnosis, Medicare will not cover these expenses.
There is a process for getting durable medical equipment (DME) such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen and patient lifts covered. Follow our step-by-step guide to getting a mobility device through insurance. You can also work with our partners DMEconnected who can get your prescription for DME to a suppliers near you.
More resources: GotDME lets you borrow or donate durable medical equipment!
Do I really need an occupational therapist to pick equipment?
You do not need one to buy a product from us, because our OTs have already vetted everything in the store and built SAMIE to help you find the right thing for you. But if the situation is complicated, more than one thing has changed, or you want to be sure before you spend, an OT is totally worth it. That is the whole idea behind AskSAMIE: OT expertise built into the shopping, so you get clinical judgment easily. You can find an OT near you here.
The bottom line
When you shop with us, you are not sorting through everything on the market and hoping you guessed right. You are choosing from a short list that OTs have already tested, simplified, and stand behind. That is what better access looks like, and it is how we help your family stay home, safely, for longer.
Browse our solutions by category or get help from an OT if you want a hand deciding.
