Start with the tub you have, not the bench in the catalog. A transfer bench only works if it clears your tub's rim, its inside walls, and its floor, and most install trouble comes from skipping that measurement.
Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.
Before you order
Measure three things and write them down. First, the height from the tub floor to the top of the rim, since that sets how high the seat sits above the bath floor. Second, the inside width and length of the tub at the rim and again at the floor, because many tubs narrow toward the bottom. Third, the distance from the tub wall to the drain and the faucet, so the bench legs do not land on the drain or block the tap.
Then check the listing or manual against those numbers. Look for the seat height range, the total width across the arms, the leg spacing, and the stated weight limit. Ask whether that limit is for the user alone or for the user plus the bench, and whether the bench is rated for wet use with its feet in the tub.
Ask the seller or maker two questions in writing: does this model attach with a clamp, with suction feet, or only by resting on the floor, and are replacement feet or clamps sold separately? If the bench needs drilling into the tub, read the tub paperwork before you drill anything, because a drilled tub may have warranty limits.
Install it in order
Unbox the bench outside the tub and count the parts against the manual's list. A missing foot or clamp is a reason to call the seller before you start, not halfway through.
Dry-fit the bench outside the tub first. Set the legs in the shape they will take inside, and adjust each leg to the same height. Then place painter's tape on the tub floor where each foot or clamp will sit, so you can see the footprint before you commit.
Set the bench in the tub. Confirm it sits flat on the floor, with no leg hanging over the edge or resting on the drain. Adjust the legs until the seat is level side to side and front to back. Tighten the clamps or lock the adjustments as the manual directs, and recheck every lock after the first use.
If the bench uses suction feet, wipe the tub floor and each foot clean and dry before you press them down. Press each foot firmly and check that it holds under your hand. Suction does not grip on soap film or standing water, so a rushed wipe is the usual reason a foot lifts later.
Test before anyone sits on it
Test the bench in stages, with the person who will use it awake and nearby, and never alone. Press down on the seat with both hands and watch for movement. Push sideways on each arm. Check that no leg rocks, no clamp slips, and no foot lifts. Only after those checks pass, have the person sit once while you watch the feet and the seat, then stand and sit again. If anything moves, stop, reset the feet or clamps, and start the test over from the beginning.
How the bench should be used getting in and out is a question for the parent's own doctor or therapist, not for an install checklist. Ask them before the first real use, and tell them which model you installed.
Name the owner of each part
Write one line in the caregiver binder or on a card taped near the tub: who checks the clamps and feet each week, who orders replacement feet, and who calls the maker if a leg cracks or a lock stops holding. If nobody owns that line, the bench wears down quietly until the day it is needed.
Recheck the bench after the first week of use. Tighten, reseat, and retest. Then keep the same check on a set monthly schedule.
What to keep
Keep the manual, the weight rating page, and the receipt in one folder with the tub paperwork. If you paid through a payment plan or a benefit program, keep that paperwork in the same folder. For public guidance on home equipment, see Sources. If the bench is part of a larger bathroom change and you need local help doing the work, Local Help for Caregivers in St. Louis is a place to start if you are in that area.