Slippery Hope

Whether it’s baby boomers or the parents of baby boomers, more people than ever need the extra security offered by bath safety products. The demographics are no myth, and competing well requires a savvy approach.

Providers know by now that most homeowners want to avoid institutional-looking products in favor of attractive designs, but when does style overshadow functionality? It’s a fine line, and Brad Crozier, senior product/brand manager, Moen Home Care, believes usefulness should never be sacrificed on the altar of design.

“People are looking to coordinate or match the rest of their bathroom decor,” says Crozier. “Particularly with baby boomers, they have nice bathrooms and put a lot of money into them. They want to add products that complete the look. You’ll see designer grab bars and bath safety furniture that looks a bit more stylish, but style is just a part of it. You want to add features and design elements that add real functionality.”

Moen hopes to back this up with a February 2011 North American launch of three grab bars that feature integrated accessories. “One grab bar has a toilet paper holder, another has a towel bar, and another has an integrated shelf,” says Crozier. “We introduced these at Medtrade Fall 2010, and they will be back at Medtrade Spring 2011.”

Ladimer Kowalchuk, president of Safety Bath Hydrotherapy Systems, says the market used to be strictly driven by need, but awareness has sparked many younger people to plan for the future. “We have seen a trend in the last couple of years in the walk-in bathtub industry where the buyer is younger,” says Kowalchuk. “The younger buyer purchases the walk-in bathtub with an eye toward future needs. This buyer wants to use the bathtub as a personal hot tub and enjoy the benefits of massage therapy. They don’t want to wait for a catastrophe before buying.”

For Kowalchuk, the trickiest aspect of the market is design. Walk-in tubs are one of the newest segments, and many different models are attempting to walk the line on functionality, safety and style.

Advises Kowalchuk, “Three questions you need to ask before you purchase a walk-in bathtub are: 1) How high is the step into the tub? A lot of tubs have a 6- to 7-inch high step; 2) Does the tub have an external safety drain? Gasket failures can occur and a tub that doesn’t have an external drain can cause major damage; and 3) Does the bathtub have an in-swing or an out-swing door? An in-swing door can be a major safety issue if a person needs help getting out of the tub and is slumped against the door.”

Slow Start, Strong Finish

Staying away from federal reimbursement programs has tremendous appeal, but cash sales can suffer in the throes of a soft economy. Daniel Matschina, president and CEO of Bridge Medical, characterizes 2010 sales as “fair to good” and a “tale of two extremes.”

Even items generally perceived as necessary to prevent injury can go unpurchased in tough times. “Our product is cash-and-carry for the most part, and is prone to the same issues as other consumer products during recessions and job loss — which is essentially belt-tightening and need-only type purchases,” says Matschina. “Unfortunately, even bath safety — lifesaving products — sometimes go by the wayside when times are tight.”

As a result, the beginning of 2010 proved to be a “bit slower” than expected, mostly due to consumer confidence and economic pressures from foreclosures, unemployment and consumer uncertainty, reports Matschina. However, he says, the bath sector has seen a turnaround that for his company, began in the fall. “The fourth quarter of 2010 turned out to be the strongest quarter in Bridge Medical’s history, and we are not looking back.”

Kowalchuk agrees that reduced traffic early in the year was affected by the housing slowdown. “Many elderly people are reluctant to spend money on renovating a home that has been drastically reduced in resale value,” he explains. “I think 2011 will be a better year because I believe we are just around the corner from an economic recovery.”

Competitive Boost?

As the competitive bidding juggernaut continues in the first nine cities and Round 2 warms up, the undeniable focus on non-Medicare business gives new urgency to the bath safety market. Many providers are old hands at wringing opportunity from adversity, and the next few years will again put those talents to the test.

“With declining reimbursement creating profit pressures, providers will need to look for new and creative ways to grow their top and bottom lines,” says Cali Thomson, associate business manager, hygiene, Invacare Corp. “Bath safety provides a perfect way to capture additional sales through their existing client base.”

Adds Matschina, “Competitive bidding is forcing many dealers to reevaluate their business from strictly Medicare and reimbursement to a more retail, cash-based business where they can make up margin, control their destiny, sell products, serve consumers and provide an instant profit-generation model.

“Further,” he continues, “many are seeing that they need to enact more traditional retail merchandising models, which is all about the ‘basket’ of purchases. If you’re selling a power chair, you should also be recommending other products that can help consumers lead more independent and safe lives while at home and on the road. If they are having trouble with mobility, they are most certainly in need of products that can make their lives safer in the bathroom.”

Knowing the right questions will help, but only if you can get people into your store. Why should customers seek out home care providers when Walmart is already in the bath safety business? Fortunately, selection and expertise are still valued by customers.

HME consultant Jack Evans has seen it work for providers throughout the country. Family caregivers who walk into a Walmart or Costco, for example, will likely see one only brand of bath chair and bench, not knowing if it is worth buying. Meanwhile, no one in the store can answer questions.

On the other hand, customers who visit a home care shop will see these items displayed on the showroom floor. “The salesperson explains the difference between a bench without a back, a chair with a back, metal legs with 1-inch increments and blow-molded plastic with unlimited height increments,” says Evans, president of Global Media Marketing. “Knowledgeable salespeople help consumers select the one that’s best for their loved one or themselves. That is why people are willing to pay 30 to 50 percent more in a DME than at a mass merchandiser — because of the service and because of the product selection.”

For independent shops looking to break into the bath safety market, Evans recommends a thorough examination of the local competition, including the chains and mass merchandisers. “Make sure you do not carry the same brands so you do not have to compete on price,” he says. “As long as mass merchandisers don’t carry the same brand, then the independent is usually offering better quality — what we call medical grade/hospital grade. That is also why we are able to charge more.”

Another substantial differentiator is presentation, with most of the big-box stores simply choosing to leave products in the box and on the shelf. “Display all the products and properly group them together,” says Evans. “In bath safety, the average sale is about $160 because we’re usually selling three products together. It’s the chair, the hand-held shower and one grab bar. Or it could be the tub rail and a chair and hand-held.

“If products are simply on the shelf, similar to the mass merchandisers, you are only going to sell the one that the person comes in for,” adds Evans. “If you have the products displayed on the floor, you have a boutique business, and you’re educating consumers and showing how to meet their needs. It’s a big difference.”

Builders Catching On

It was a “strong” 2010 for Moen, a performance that Crozier attributes to an “aging-in-place” mindset that home care providers have held for a long time. Builders know the term well, and it’s all part of a desire for older people to stay in their homes longer and avoid costlier assisted living and nursing home arrangements.

Physical and occupational therapists are familiar with aging in place, and a related concept called universal design, or UD, is also gaining traction in the home care world. As a Maryland-based independent living strategist, Louis Tenenbaum, CAPS, CAASH, works with developers and builders to spread these ideas.

Tenenbaum points out that UD is often used incorrectly as a synonym for barrier-free, accessible or ADA design, but he maintains that UD is a larger concept that often leads to surprise benefits. “The most common example is the curb cut,” says Tenenbaum, author of Aging in Place 2.0: Rethinking Solutions to the Home Care Challenge, published by the MetLife Mature Marketing Institute. “Designed for wheelchair users, it also works equally well for strollers, roller skates and suitcases.” Yet another analogy is closed captioning. Originally intended for the hard of hearing, captioning benefits people in crowded bars, gyms or any noisy area.

For Tenenbaum, the benefits of bath safety engineering have many of the same crossover benefits. “A newer definition of UD is ‘the process of embedding choice for all people into the things we design,’” he says. “This refers to the interface providing opportunity rather than limitation. For example, a homeowner can walk or roll into an open shower. A curbed shower does not offer this rolling entry choice.”

If UD applies to all abilities, then it also has relevance for all ages. With this in mind, the marketing folks at giant Moen hope to expand the sector for providers with new promotional photography emphasizing enhanced safety for young children. “I have a 2-year-old son and 4-year-old son, and they get out of the bathtub everyday, and you see them stepping on the side of the tub and slipping a little bit,” says Crozier. “They use a hand grip on the side, and tread strips on the tub floor to help them with balance. These products can be used throughout a person’s life.”

Aging-in-Place Checklist

Listed by the National Association of Home Builders, typical aging-in-place upgrades for the bathroom include:

• Wall support and provision for adjustable and/or varied height counters and removable base cabinets
• Contrasting color edge border at countertops
• At least one wheelchair-maneuverable bath on main level with 60-inch turning radius or acceptable T-turn space and 36-inch by 36-inch, or 30-inch by 48-inch clear space
• Bracing in walls around tub, shower, shower seat and toilet for installation of grab bars to support 250 to 300 pounds
• If a stand-up shower is used in main bath, it should be curb-less and a minimum of 36 inches wide
• Bathtub should be lower for easier access
• Seat in the shower
• Adjustable/handheld showerheads with 6-foot hose
• Tub/shower controls offset from center
• Shower stall with built-in antibacterial protection
• Light in shower stall
• Toilet 2½ inches higher than standard toilet (17 to 19 inches) or height-adjustable
• Design of the toilet paper holder allows rolls to be changed with one hand
• Wall-hung sink with knee space and panel to protect user from pipes
• Slip-resistant flooring in bathroom and shower

• Read the “Q&A with Jack Evans: What about Bathroom Display?” sidebar to learn about some retail considerations.

Experts Interviewed

• Brad Crozier, senior product/brand manager, Moen Home Care, North Olmstead, Ohio
• Jack Evans, president and CEO, Global Media Marketing, Malibu, Calif.
• Ladimer Kowalchuk, president, Safety Bath Hydrotherapy Systems, Ituna, Saskatchewan, Canada
• Daniel Matschina, president and CEO, Bridge Medical, St. Paul, Minn.
• Louis Tenenbaum, CAPS, CAASH, Aging in Place Ideas, www.louistenenbaum.com
• Cali Thomson, associate business manager, hygiene, Invacare Corp., Elyria, Ohio

Q&A with Jack Evans: What about Bathroom Display?

HomeCare: Where should providers situate the bathroom display?

Evans: Display the model bathroom somewhere in the front half of the showroom. Customers will see the product in context, so it does not look like medical equipment. It’s going to be nicely designed furniture, and it’s going to be appealing, because people don’t want products like the chrome adjustable legs anymore. They want products that look normal, that they’re not embarrassed to have in their bathroom.

HomeCare: How can expansion into bath safety affect the provider’s bottom line?

Evans: When you look at most HME retailers, bath safety is one of their highest-volume categories. It’s not their profit center, but they sell a heck of a lot of products, and the funny thing is, it’s not really the big ticket items they are selling. They are selling the disposable items, which we really call personal care.

They are selling bed pans and male-female urinals, because these are disposable products. You might think those are the cheap products that are not important, but those are really what bring people in all the time — and then they’re also buying the more expensive bath safety items once they are in the store.

HomeCare: Is there anything providers should avoid when setting up a display?

Evans: Avoid, generic, old-school boxes. You want retail packaging that has nice four-color design so consumers can see immediately what is inside the box.

HomeCare: What can you say to HME providers who are concerned about competing with big-box stores?

Evans: When people want to expand into retail, they think they can’t compete in bath safety because there is a chain drug across the street, or a Walmart or another mass merchandiser. They can compete if they carry a different product line. Carry both a basic and an upgrade, because the mass merchandisers are not going to have those upgraded lines. That’s the biggest issue. You must have options, and the chains and mass market don’t provide product options. It’s a boutique business model.