While sorting through various pictures I have taken, I came across a picture of new flooring in an assisted living building I used to work in. Flooring is an interesting topic to discuss. It has to be durable yet attractive. It can make or break a space. It needs to be easy to clean and maintain; in heavily trafficked areas, it also needs to hide stains. It should not be too slippery, especially in areas that can get wet. Good quality floors are not cheap either.

Floors make a difference when it comes to the ability of older adults to navigate spaces. Slippery floors= falls. Glares on the floors= falls. Contrasts on the floors used improperly= falls. Pretty much, poor flooring means a fall, a potentially broken hip, and the start of the slippery slope of decline. If you did not know, a broken hip, more than any other fracture, plays a large role in the functional decline of an older adult.

We will embark on a flooring discussion with different characteristics discussed with each post and the recommendations and perspectives of other professionals interspersed. As always, comments and recommendations are more than welcome!

To start, check out the Wall and Floor Coverings tab for some pictures. (Click Below)

Wall and Floor Coverings