A grab bar is one of the few home changes where the hardest part is not the drill. It is finding out what is behind the surface, and whether the bar will be leaned on by someone who needs it to steady a turn or a step.
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Decide early whether this is a job you do yourself or a job you hand to an installer. Either choice can be right. The point is to make the choice on purpose.
Find the wall before you drill
Look for wood framing or solid backing where the bar will go. Some installers use a stud finder, some open a small test spot, and some ask the homeowner what was built behind the wall. Ask which one applies to your house. If there is no solid backing at the spot where she will reach, the bar may need a different anchor, a different spot, or a backing board added during the work.
Check the package and the instructions
Read the package for the load rating and the mounting method it was tested for. Hardware that holds in a test block may not hold the same way in an older plaster wall or a tile surround. If the instructions say a specific anchor type, use that anchor. Substituting a cheaper screw is the most common quiet mistake.
When to call someone to do it
Hire it out when you find no solid backing, when the wall is tile over a tub or shower surround, when the wall is fiberglass or plaster you cannot read, or when the bar must sit in a spot where a wrong screw would be hard to fix. Ask the installer to show you the backing they found before they close the wall.
Keep the packaging and the instructions with your house papers. If the bar ever comes loose, whoever is looking at it will want to know what was used.