Place a vertical grab bar on the wall where you enter/exit the shower. You hold the bar to steady yourself as you step over the threshold. For more thorough protection, also install a horizontal bar so it's at your side when you face the shower head, at 33-36 inches height from the floor of the shower. When we installed grab bars from my elderly father-in-law we contacted the local Council for Aging and they referred us to a professional who came to the house and installed the bars. The relatively low cost was well worth the peace of mind we had knowing that the bars were properly located and anchored to studs.

We just bought a temporary grab bar that attaches to the side of the tub. (For some odd reason this is called a bathtub rail instead of a grab bar.) There are also floor to ceiling poles that can be temporary. Permanent is better, but it might affect your placement to know the options.

In a classic tiny bathroom layout, you have to avoid the toilet to get into the tub, so that determines which end you climb in.

I plan to do the same. i know that today with my shower/tub combo, I tend to hold on to (i know I shouldnt) the towel bar that is inside the shower - and on the wall opposite the shower head. So with my remodel, I plan to put a small 10" grab bar at the edge of the short shower wall opposite the shower head -which is where I am apparantly accustomed to it - today.

When I took my dad to the doctor the other day, they had a short (maybe 9") vertical grab bar on the wall for him to hold onto while he stepped up on the scale to be weighed. He hung on and commented how much he appreciated it. Light bulb went off in my head that installing one on the faucet wall of the shower might be very smart.