Step into a Safe Bathroom

HME/DME providers are migrating en masse toward any product category that offers promise of more cash sales, and the full gamut of bath safety products is among the biggest cash opportunities for dealers. The manufacturer community knows it, too, and suppliers are stepping up to help providers increase sales in the category and to work as partners in the lucrative retail business. The following are some ways manufacturers are ratcheting up their game in the bath safety sector to the benefit of providers. Suppliers such as Carex Health Brands are expanding their product offerings. Carex offers retail-packaged bath safety products with good-better-best options in multiple categories—including more than 16 raised toilet seats alone. Suppliers are offering more re-seller support services, including online resources. HealthCraft Products, for example, has launched a Web-based support center (healthcraftproducts.com) to help customers succeed in the retail environment. The center offers display programs, facility donations and sales strategies. Clarke Health Care is eager to meet and talk with dealers to discuss products and share ideas on how to develop more business. “We are willing to help with the process from start to finish, making it easy for the provider,” says Wade Lawrence, Clarke’s vice president of national accounts. Drive Medical offers posters to decorate the showroom, leave-behind brochures and planograms to increase cash sales. Such resources are typical of manufacturers active in the bath category. Managing large inventories can be expensive, but manufacturers make it easy for providers to keep little to no inventory. For example, Bridge Medical keeps products in stock, ready to ship within one day, or to drop-ship to customers in the continental United States with no additional charges other than shipping costs. Another benefit from manufacturers in bath safety is a positive and enthusiastic outlook to attract providers to a lucrative new category. HealthCraft Products is eager to stress the enabling aspects of permitting clients to live life to the fullest, rather than a negative focus on disability. “Nothing should keep a client from living the way they want to live, and we continue to develop new ways to help them do what they love,” says Ian Crawford, who handles marketing and media relations for HealthCraft Products. “We live and breathe this philosophy and encourage our dealers to as well.”

No More Institutional Appearance

When considering the bath safety sector, providers should explore what’s available in the market beyond standard equipment, says Lawrence of Clarke. “There are lots of products that the general public has no idea exist, but that they would 
be willing to purchase to meet their 
needs. There are also more expensive products out there, and better quality 
and longer warranties could be a key 
niche for some providers.” Clarke has a variety of bath safety products from bath lifts to assist with transfers in and out of a bathtub to shower commode chairs. Products range from basic use to a rehab line for more involved patient needs. The Ocean VIP tilt-in-space shower commode chair from Clarke continues to be updated. Multiple features and accessories complement the chair to fit a wide array of patients who need a shower commode chair. The broader Ocean line begins with a basic shower commode chair and encompasses products all the way up to a tilt-in-space model with recline. “This gives us the ability to fit just about any client who is in need of a roll-in shower commode chair,” says Lawrence. A trend during the past few years has been an increase in people willing to use bath safety products to try and stay in their homes. Patients want to stay in their homes as long as they can, rather than move to assisted living centers or a nursing homes. Product designs have come a long way over the years, and they still seem to change from year to year to meet the needs and wants of the customer, says Lawrence. Bathing products are more streamlined 
to match bathrooms in the home and are less institutional in appearance. To sell more of these products, HME providers should supply information and ask customers questions about their bathing experiences, says Lawrence. Providers should keep product information on hand, and, if possible, dedicate a showroom section to bath safety to allow clients to see and touch the products and get an idea of how they look in a bathing area.

Close the Loop

HealthCraft creates home safety solutions for every room of the house, especially the bathroom, which poses the highest risk of falls. Bathrooms can be a challenging place for people who need assistance. The winner of 11 industry product awards in the last 20 years, HealthCraft designs and manufactures innovative support products to allow people to continue living independently. HealthCraft’s SuperPole with SuperBar is a full-service, supportive and life-changing solution, providing both horizontal and vertical support. Eight locking positions around the SuperPole (one every 45 degrees) enable clients to stay closer to the support as they move. Installing a SuperPole with SuperBar between a toilet and bathtub creates a centralized support to provide assistance on and off the toilet and also a secure way to cross the slippery bathtub threshold. If placed properly, the one product can provide comparable support to many safety products (grab bars, toilet safety sides, etc.) while reducing clutter in the space. The combination of pole and bar allows one-handed operation when moving the bar from one position to the next (one hand on the pole, one on the bar). Clients are fully supported with each move they make. Crawford of HealthCraft cautions providers not to immediately suggest a lower price point base model option to customers. It is far better to start by suggesting the best product, and then remove options to fit a particular price point. “Don’t ignore the fact that you are the expert, and most clients are willing to invest in your expertise,” says Crawford. “If not, they would be visiting a local big-box store to select their product.” Crawford says HealthCraft cares about brick-and-mortar HME providers. In fact, one of HealthCraft’s owners operated a DME store for nearly four decades. The other two owners are an occupational therapist (OT) and a mechanical engineer. “We know the HME market, how the body moves and how to develop a product,” says Crawford. “When clients are looking to you to be the expert, let us help with your staff’s product, movement and support knowledge. Our sales and customer service teams are educated and ready to help in identifying the best solution to assist your clients.” HME providers should close the loop in their business by providing a full-service solution that includes installation, says Crawford. It’s an approach that ensures long-lasting and repeat customer relationships and fosters a strong referral base in the community, especially with OTs who seek a strong local resource to serve their clients properly. “If your showroom is large enough, even consider providing a free, dedicated OT office they can work out of to meet clients and discuss and provide product solutions,” says Crawford. “Our biggest customers have had tremendous success with this.” For providers concerned about liability and insurance, HealthCraft has fostered relationships between HME stores and remodelers focused on accessibility, including Certified Aging in Place Specialists (CAPS).

Flexibility in Merchandising

A great way to boost bathroom safety sales is to sell customers on bundles, says Jeff Swain, director of marketing, Carex Health Brands. Typically, if a consumer needs a raised toilet seat, they are also going to need a bath seat, a grab bar and quite possibly a bath mat. “Creating bundles offering a discount when multiple products are purchased increases add-on sales,” he says. “Service is also king.” Carex supplies high-quality bath safety products that are easy to assemble and merchandise in the smallest possible space. Carex packaging is often flex-capable, which means it can be merchandised in multiple configurations—vertical, horizontal, sideways, etc.—to give the retailer more flexibility. Carex also offers destination signage and assistance in building retail planograms. Carex recently introduced a completely redesigned line of bath mats uniquely designed to fit perfectly under bath seats and transfer benches. The Carex Deluxe Bath Mat also features integrated foot scrubbers and pumice stones to assist in cleaning feet, which is often difficult for the elderly. “Most caregivers and end users know very little about the category and need support in making decisions,” says Swain. “Providers should make themselves a resource, which will go a long way toward gaining repeat business. Education is key.”

Product Selection Brands You

To succeed in the bath safety category, providers should use product selection to position and brand themselves in the market, says Randy Rosen, Drive Medical’s vice president of training. The cost of acquiring retail business should be part of the ongoing business plan, including programs that can be adopted to differentiate the business. Providers should seek to maximize the value of each patient by caring, and to offer patients solutions to make them more comfortable and safer in their homes, says Rosen. Diverse product offerings and how a provider does business can increase retail and cash sales. Finally, providers should take advantage of financing programs to help manage their cash flow and allow the funds needed to grow the business, Rosen advises. Drive Medical’s line of bath safety products exceeds the market demand for quality, selection, reliability and value. Drive’s mission is to manufacture and market world-class products focusing on functionality and value to improve the quality of life and promote independence. From grab bars to automatic bath lifts, Drive has products to make the bathing experience safer and more accessible to more individuals. Drive Medical’s Bellavita ultra-modern automatic bath lift is easy to transport and stow away for use at home while traveling. The stylish design, created with the help of health care professionals, includes complete tool-free setup to make it easy to install and operate. The lightest bath lift on the market, the Bellavita weighs only 20.5 pounds, and the seat height reaches 18.8 inches for deeper tubs. The backrest reclines 50 degrees at its lowest point, and a water-tight hand control floats to keep control buttons accessible. A smart battery knows if it has enough power to lift someone out of the tub before it takes them down, so no one is ever stuck in the tub because of lack of power. A three-year warranty covers the frame, hand control and charger. Rosen lists three ways to capture the retail opportunity—bring retail to the customer, bring the customer to a retail location or provide retail over the Internet. “Drive offers complete tool kits that support each of these facets of the retail opportunity,” he says. “We offer training and materials for each.”

Renovating For Safer Bathrooms

Bathroom renovations can also boost safety, and Best Bath Systems has provided accessible bathroom products to the renovation market since 1971. The Idaho-based manufacturer’s product line includes barrier-free showers and pans, walk-in tubs and safety accessories—all designed to provide a safe bathing environment, whether in a residence or a commercial facility. The company sells through a national dealer network because it understands the importance of education, catering to customers’ needs and providing service. Tammy Harris, vice president of information systems, Best Bath Systems, sees a shift of focus in the bath safety category—and the broader accessibility market—to encompass design considerations as well as functionality. More education and support are coming from associations such as the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association (NKBA) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Best Bath’s barrier-free or no-threshold shower is an effective solution for safe bathing. The shower incorporates wood-encased walls so safety bars and seats can be added anywhere as needs evolve. The introduction of the Designer Series in 2013 offers more value and enhancements to the product line. As consumers become more selective in their choices for bath renovation, the addition of features such as inlaid tile and decorative safety bars enables accessibility without sacrificing design aesthetics. “Customers want—and demand—more from everything they buy,” says Harris. “Bathing products are no different. The reason our product is successful is because we focus on beauty and common sense. A luxurious-looking product should not be challenging to maintain. We create products that are both beautiful and low on maintenance. Another appealing factor is ease of installation. Our shower systems can be easily changed out in as few as two days.” Harris says providers should invest in a marketing campaign specific to home modification. Networking can help providers find partners to help increase their notoriety as accessibility experts. Local occupational and physical therapists and pharmacies should all be aware of a provider’s accessibility solutions. Hiring a skilled sales person can also help. Providers should also be knowledgeable and work with a qualified subcontractor, or have a contractor on staff who can effectively bid on jobs while ensuring profitability. Having the skills to complete job estimations can help providers win at the bidding game. Harris advises providers also to remember the sensitive nature of bathing problems. Sometimes a home visit for a safety consultation might be a better option than an outright question that might seem intrusive or not suitable. “A little goes a long way with aging clients,” she says.

Bridge Medical’s Portable Grab Bar’s telescoping handle adapts to most any tile configuration.

A Simple, Portable Solution

At the other extreme, bath safety sometimes doesn’t require drilling a single hole. Since 2007, Bridge Medical has supplied portable suction grab-bars that hold 388 pounds of pull pressure. Suction pads are made of 100 percent vulcanized rubber, and the products sell from $69.99 for a single-grip up to $150 for a top-of-the-line, pivoting, telescoping product that can extend to almost 34 inches. Bridge Medical’s newest model is the BC600 4-inch tile grip, which is also the company’s best seller. The product features smaller 3.7-inch diameter suction pads (versus the usual 4.7-inch diameter pads). The smaller pads can attach to a single 4-inch shower tile without overlapping a grout line or other variables that could undermine suction. The BC600 also has telescoping ability to adjust the length of the bar to ensure positioning of each suction pad onto a single tile for maximum grip. A coming wave of baby boomer customers attracted co-founders Daniel Matschina and Mike Vizenor to start the business. The company is seeking to serve a market that the founders see as more mobile, longer-living and looking to age in-home. “They’re living at home, they have nice bathrooms, and they may not want to drill into expensive tiles,” says Matschina. “They also travel, and they want things they can travel with, or can use at a Florida condo in the winter. They expect more out of products now. They don’t want ugly products, and we design them to look great in their houses.” The look and feel of Bridge Medical’s products are protected by design patents, and low manufacturing costs have translated into no price increase for several years. To boost cash sales, providers should create an environment where consumers can see, feel, touch and use the products, says Matschina. HME providers should also seek to differentiate themselves from big-box stores by selling a quality product, providing service and answering questions to guide consumers toward quality rather than price. He warns HME providers about competing on price. “Don’t always fight to the bottom, trying to compete with Home Depot, who is buying in bulk. Providers should also offer customers more expensive choices. HME providers have an opportunity to make an up-sale—provide more products, better looking products and products that are warranted for life. They offer a really cool service, and they can get a little higher retail and carry better products.” In the case of Bridge Medical, providers should have a grab bar displayed in the store so customers can test the grip and decide “I can actually use this.” Says Matschina: “That’s when you make the sale.” Bridge Medical keeps product in stock to ship within a day, and can drop-ship in the continental United States with no additional charges other than shipping. There is no requirement for large orders. Some providers just keep ‘one to show and one to go,’ thus limiting inventory costs. Because Bridge Medical focuses on a single product line, the company is well positioned to help with marketing, has product knowledge and understands what providers need to make a sale, says Matschina. Bridge Medical is also confident in the success of HME/DME providers. “There may be consolidation as providers are slow to adapt to retail, but we see our strong customers getting stronger every year,” says Matschina.