A home is not a home until it feels safe. Ensuring the safety and comfort of a home becomes even more important when aging adults are living there. The wrong flooring can increase the risk of accidents and discomfort for senior occupants.
5 Factors to Prioritize
There are five important factors to consider when choosing the best floor for aging adults. They are:
Slip-Resistance: This is primarily to reduce hazardous or disastrous events from happening due to wet floors. Does the type of flooring have or include a non-slip variety?
Ease of Travel: Are the floors accessible and friendly to those who use walkers, canes, or wheelchairs? It can't be too rough or too smooth that it could create difficulty in movement.
Cleaning/Maintenance: Cleanliness and overall maintenance must be done rather effortlessly. Low-maintenance floors are optimal not just for those who are taking care of the aging adult but also if they happen to live alone..
Comfort: Ideally the floor's texture is comfortable underfoot and offers some degree of shock absorbency in case of a fall.
5 Floor Options To Consider
Cork
Comfort: Cork flooring provides a middle ground between soft and rough. It has a smooth, washable surface with a soft underfoot.
Smooth Travel: Known for efficient wheelchair access, and it won't catch feet as carpeting could.
Cleaning: Cork Flooring being kept properly maintained can hold very good results, as it would only need to be swept and properly mopped to avoid stains and dirt.
Luxury Vinyl
Durability: Vinyl is can take a beating from canes, walkers, wheelchairs while maintaining a pleasing appearance.
Maintenance: also low-maintenance cleaning process as cork flooring—easy-to-maintain and waterproof, which naturally avoids slippage.
Price Range: With the variety and versatility of luxury vinyl flooring, you can find a lot of good prices and selections that are worth the investment
Hardwood
Hardness/Smooth Travel: For anyone with accessibility issues, smooth travel is an advantage.
Beauty: The timeless beauty of a classic hardwood floor just can't be beat.
The best advice we can offer if you are considering a floor for an aging adult is to come to our showroom and speak with one of our hardwood floor experts. They will not only help you find the best functioning floor, they will make sure it looks beautiful in your home.
