IF YOU'VE EEVR TAKEN A FALL IN THE BATHROOM, YOU KNOW WHY THEY MAKE BATH SAFETY PRODUCTS. PROBABLY BOUGHT SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS SINCE THAT FALL, HUH?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. MORE PEOPLE FALL IN THE BATHROOM THAN IN ANY OTHER ROOM IN THE HOUSE, ACCORDING TO SAFETY SURVEYS, BECAUSE OF THE COMBINATION OF WET SLICK TUBS, SHOWERS AND FLOORS. TO MAKE THAT DANGER ZONE A SAFER HAVEN, HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS OFFER A BOARD RANGE OF PRODUCTS.

AN AGING POPULATION HAS MADE BATH SAFETY A GROWTH MARKET, YET ONE WITH LOW MARGINS, HIGH COMPETITION and virtually no third-party reimbursement. The market, however, is not limited to seniors.

"Many dealers see these products as part of a wellness alternative to customers who might otherwise use a pharmacy," says Sue Chen, president of Nova Ortho-Med. "It's for anybody who wants a safe house. It's for customers who already are coming in to see the dealer for other products. It's for people released from hospitals who need hospital-type bathrooms in their home."

The problem for the HME industry isn't a lack of people who need the products. The problem is making those people aware that the products exist and could improve their quality of life.

"People don't want to admit they will get old, so they don't plan on obtaining these products," says Brian McEvilly, personal care products manager for Sunrise Medical. "They really deny the existence of the products until it's blatantly obvious they need them for safety. Then, all of a sudden, they're bewildered by the choices."

Large manufacturers like Sunrise Medical and Invacare Corp. have devised marketing campaigns to raise the awareness level, including in-store displays and promotions.

"It's the greatest feeling in the world for a bed-bound person to be able to take a bath," says Paul Retcofsky, who spent 10 years on the provider's side before joining Alex Orthopedics. "We take that for granted, but it's a luxury for them. We need to make people aware of these products."

Some companies, like Access by Fiberglass Systems, manufacture a fully contained plastic bathing unit flush with the floor to allow easy access for roll-in chairs. The fiberglass-reinforced unit, with a seat and grab bar, replaces the standard home bathtub with a showerhead.

"We are looking for the mom-and-pop to the mid-size HME dealer who knows the area and who is known by the people in the community," says Barbara Bunch of Access. "These units really sell. When people see them, we get comments like, 'Call my HME supplier. They need to know about your product.' "

Bruce Corson is a remodel contractor who is a partner at Frontier Medical. He installs the systems and says they have been well-received by patients who must modify their homes. "The benefit for the patients is that we not only sell the equipment, we make sure it works," Corson says. "We assemble it, install it and do all the work so they don't have to go out and hire somebody else."

Except for the fully contained systems, however, most bath products are commodities. And while product choices are vast, the lines are relatively static. The staples are commodes, grab bars, transfer benches, shower chairs, hand-held showers, raised toilet seats and bath lifts.

A commode is a commode, and there's only so much technology can do to improve upon it. "There really is no reimbursement for most of these products, so no one is going to pay extra for a graphite commode with racing stripes," says McEvilly.

Because many products are available in pharmacies and mass-market retail outlets like Wal-Mart, manufacturers and providers have responded by becoming educators. Specifically, Sunrise and Invacare have redesigned packaging to be more easily understood by consumers.

"We feel the packaging should speak for the product," says Sharon Rogers, personal care product manager for Invacare. "Our package has a photograph of the product on the front and side, an in-use shot, a description, warranty, whether it is made in the USA, weight capacity and product specs."

Manufacturers also are being responsive to consumer individuality. Allan Allman of Allman Products says the trend is toward more portable bath safety products, like foldable shower chairs, that allow patients to travel in comfort. Hazel Simin, product specialist for North Coast Medical, says consumers prefer the plastic look "because it's not as institutionalized as the stainless steel you see in hospitals." Colors also are emerging to set products apart and to appeal to consumers' preferences.