Grab bars are practical for every home and downright essential for homes with elderly parents living or visiting there. They are not very expensive and fairly easy to install. No, I've never actually installed them myself. However, I watched my plumber do it and asked plenty of questions while he was at it. He explained what was required and is the one who told me they were fairly easy. :)

In one older bathroom remodel, I didn't have much space to work with. Even so, I was able to have him put three grab bars in for my senior mom. One was by the toilet, one was in the shower, and one was in lieu of a towel rack, in order to save space. It worked quite well for the towels and was right beside the shower in case she needed assistance as she stepped out of the shower. A big plus is that I've never had to worry about it falling out of the wall, as have so many of my cheap towel racks in past years.

In a brand new house I purchased, I made sure grab bars were on the list of upgrades in two of the three bathrooms. Originally meant for my senior parents, I was so grateful for them when I broke my ankle and ended up on bedrest for several weeks! Even my grandchildren have used them when they weren't feeling well.

They don't even have to be limited to bathrooms. I've read of people who added grab bars to walls beside a bed as well as putting them outside to help elderly parents when they were out working in the yard. 

Grab bars are a low-cost, high-value addition to any home. Your elderly parents will definitely appreciate them and the rest of your family probably will also.