You can mix and match items to suit what your needs are.

Speakman makes a combo handheld shower/ADA rated grab bar. Handsome...VERY sturdy. I had it recently installed and am VERY happy with it. I'm sure there are less costly bars out there, but the Speakman version is not THAT high and when you do the math = safety+convenience+years of use, to me it's a no-brainer. Be sure you comparison price, including a lowprofile, free shipping place called Zoro.com - i bought several components through them.

You can order Delta products with a shower bar that is a grab bar. You have to specify it. The grab bars are more decorative than a standard grab bar. They do not come in every style, but you can pair it with a faucet style that is close.

Speakman ada slide bars are attractive and strong. I have them in two showers.

I used this Gatco grab bar. I really like the look, nothing like your traditional grab bar. And I wanted a long one, so the top would hold the handheld up high and the bottom would be convenient for use with a shower chair, I Then can't remember if I used the 36" or 42".

I used the Delta U6500 Shower Mount with it; it holds any brand handheld shower head.

Delta, Moen, Speakman and others have sets with handhelds and grab bars, but most were too short and I didn't like the styles as well.

I used a standard shower head mounted on a sliding bar (Hansgrohe), then added two horizontal grab bars -- one by the shower entrance and the other under the niche. I found them through a plumbing supply store my contractor recommended. They don't look like institutional grab bars -- they have the same finish and similar design as the shower head. The one nearest the shower door holds the bathmat. The set-up works very well and looks good, too.

Blocking should be put between studs at the desired location of grab bars before walls are closed up. A grab bar should be screwed into the blocking, not a stud. For bars mounted on either side of a toilet, the blocking should be installed between the studs and supported to the bottom wall plate by a 2x4.

You cannot add grab bars to already installed showers so hopefully this in new construction .

Patrricia, we put grab bars into already installed showers all the time. What you need to do is find the studs and use the appropriate sized grab bar ( 16" and 32" are NEVER available in big box stores off the shelf and have to be ordered in my area). Or Moen has a system which involved drilling large holes, or Snap toggles which involve smaller holes. There is even a company that makes a mounting system for fiberglass.

The advantage of a glide bar is that it makes the shower workable for people of different heights especially for someone who sits in a shower chair living with someone who stands in the shower. And if it's a grab bar it gives you an extra secure handhold.

There are a couple of sets that include a grab bar but you will have more choices and it will cost you less if you assemble the pieces yourself. First, any grab bar 24" to 36" depending on the range of shower heights that you need and where your behind-the-wall plumbing is located. Then, some sort of holder for the showerhead - we also use the Delta 6500 a lot. Most any handheld shower will work although a few brands wont set firmly in the holder so you may want to check that.

The most frequent grab bar installations we do are for 2 bars aside from the glide bar. One horizontal at ADA height of about 34" running along the long wall - usually a 32" bar to hit the studs. One other bar at the entry to the shower for steadiness when you are balanced on one leg stepping over the tub. This is usually a vertical, say 18" or 24" at the entry but sometimes people like a horizontal stretching across the back entry of the shower if that's how they get in.

@Radcliffe Remodel LLC, what have you heard from customers in terms of the finish of the grab bar in tub/shower areas? I see that there are knurled options in both chrome and stainless steel. In my imagination, stainless steel seems more institutional and harder to clean but I wonder if chrome ones may become slippery even if knurled. Do you have any experience with this? Thanks.

I've had the Gatco chrome bars I mentioned above in two different showers, used daily, for two years with no problems. The Gatco are not textured but still I don't find them slippery at all. They really don't get enough water on them to cause problems.

Thank you for the update @Susan L. Good to hear of your experience. I suspect that for my parents, the grab bar that will inside the shower area will get wet. I had found some deeply discounted Moen chrome ones that have a couple of grip pads on the interior rather than being continuous along the length. I wonder if that would be sufficient (i.e. if my dad who is elderly and goes to hold it where there is no grip to pull himself up from a bath chair). Also wonder if the grip pads would last. I see your Gatco has concealed screws which is a nicer look. I have to check that out too!

I think the grip pads on a Moen would last; Moen is a good quality product. Most grab bars I've seen don't have grip pads, including the ADA type used in hospital and assisted living showers. But I think it would depend on how much hand grip power the user has and where they would be grabbing. Grabbing at the end would make it easier to keep the hand from sliding any further.

The pads aren't on the outside of the bar but rather inset. this is the underside of the bar. I don't think they're going anywhere.

Thanks @Susan L and @Radcliffe Remodel LLC. I am surprised that chrome without grips or some kind of scoring (knurled?) isn't a requirement but in some locations, maybe it's fine.

We will use the Moen ones with grips (similar to in Radcliffe's picture). They should last (i.e. not fall apart or become less grippy) over time.