STEP INSIDE BATHROOMS
Independent Living
When advising customers on suitable flooring choices, it is also important to consider those who may need specialist adaptations. Here, Esther Bond,
Specifications Consultant at Altro, discusses smart bathroom flooring choices that can help people stay independent in their own homes for longer.
Home adaptations allow individuals who are disabled, ageing or vulnerable to continue to live in their own homes for longer. This does require, however, homes to be adapted to provide a safe and comfortable environment for them to live in. When houses are adapted, you need to not only consider the needs of the individual now, but in the future. Physical and mental health can deteriorate over time, and to have a familiar environment that does not have to be changed reduces stress and confusion after the house modification.
The bathing experience is an important part of life and environments should help people to feel safe and relaxed. Colour is a way of achieving this, creating a warm, comforting and homely environment, even where the home is adapted with specialist equipment. We can recommend colour combinations that are appropriate for people with dementia and those with visual impairments.
More accidents happen at home than anywhere else. That’s why safety should always be an important consideration
42 | Tomorrow’s Retail Floors
when adapting a home. Slips and trips can easily happen when floors are wet or there is an uneven surface. Wet environments are not just about water; it’s also what we use in those areas, including shower gel and shampoo. The slip risks that these contaminants create are potentially dangerous and could cause serious accidents.
Slips and falls aren’t the only consideration in wet environments. Indoor humidity and poor cleaning can lead to build-ups of bacteria and mould, which can impact health as well as the appearance of the rooms.
For bathrooms, you should look at safety flooring that guarantees to reduce the chance of a slip or trip to one in a million, for the lifetime of the flooring so you can rest assured the home adaption will be safe for years to come.
In practical terms, adaptations which are easy to clean and maintain are an important consideration. Quite often, carers are in the workforce or are themselves elderly. Having an
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