Flooring To Cope With The Increase Of Older Generation Group

In Singapore, we are currently facing with ageing populations as there are many more elderly as compared with young children and adults. There is a need to cater to their needs to ease their chores and workload. Normally, elderly would spend more time in their apartment watching tv or looking after their grandchildren hence it is essential to have a home that is safe for them to live in. Flooring is the main criteria for their safety which is the reason why they should always opt for flooring that could make their lives easier and convenient.

 These are some of the highlighted factors to take note:

Reduce Impact When Accidents Occur

Elderly may tend to trip or slip easily if their existing flooring is smooth and the impact of the fall might be serious if their flooring is hard. Flooring with a little textured finish would be ideal so that it has some frictions that prevent the flooring from being too slippery when the floor is a little wet due to mopping and water spillage.

Better Insulator of Heat

Have you come across elderly members in the family who like to wear room slippers to walk around in their home? Some of the elderly felt that the flooring is too cold for their feet to step on hence wearing a pair of room slippers would be much comfortable for them.

Wood flooring is a better insulator of heat as compared to other materials thus their feet would not feel as cold when stepping on them. It can keep their feet warm during days when the weather is cold and protect their feet from getting too hot and uncomfortable during warm and sunny days. This will be good for them in the long run and it makes their living environment better for them.

Lighter shades flooring

Eyesight might deteriorate as you grow older hence going for flooring with lighter tone colour could enable them to see objects that drops to the floor easily without having the need to strain their eyes to look for it. They are also able to look out for objects that are left lying around the floor with just a glance which could prevent tripping accidents from happening.

High end resilient flooring (HERF) might be a good option for their homes as it is available in a wide range of colours and their feet would feel comfortable when stepping on it.  

Most importantly, the flooring must be easy to maintain as it will be a hassle for them to maintain their floors regularly. Choosing flooring that is safe for them could enable them to enjoy their lives better instead of worrying day and night about their flooring.

Written By: Zhiqi Ng