At my age of 86 I was getting so unsteady on my feet that I dreaded to take a shower for fear that I would stumble against the control valve and knock it over onto the hot setting and scald myself, especially if the tank is turned very high.
No problem. I went to the hardware store and bought a cheap towel bar about twelve inches long. One made from a single square piece of steel about a quarter inch square, chrome plated with a plate on each end with two holes to anchor to the wall.
I put this in my vise and bent it into a half circle and then bent the ends back till they sat flat against the wall. Actually, strong hands can shape this with a pair of vice grips. After you have bent and shaped it to fit in front of the univalve - try to have it clear the valve by about two inches so you can comfortably reach around it to set the water temperature, all you have to do is anchor it to the wall.
Hold it horizontally in front of the valve where you feel it looks right and would stop you from falling against it, mark the place to bore pilot holes for the screws; a fine point felt tip pen will nicely mark the wall through each of the four holes.
Anchoring this gismo can be the biggest problem. If the shower stall is finished in ceramic tile, it can be difficult; needs a carbide bit and a wall anchor. Plastic is easy. Keep in mind any water pipes you could run into. A reliable handyman will do this for you. But please do it; it's simple and inexpensive and could save you from being seriously scalded. I feel safe; I want you to feel safe.
