Flooring
some are in heritage buildings that were designed and built prior to the 20th century when there were completely different approaches to floor design. In older buildings, the design of the subfloor may not be capable of providing the acoustic protection required in new buildings. Indeed the care home manager may not be able to ascertain what type of subfloors are in use throughout the site. In these applications, as well as in new care home premises, one of the solutions available to acousticians and to teams involved in the day-to-day management of the facilities is the use of flooring to reduce impact sound transmission. A flooring specialist can provide the care home team with guidance on specifying and installing flooring materials that are capable of tackling problems with noise. In addition, guidance can be given to ensure that the flooring also satisfies other key priorities, such as aesthetic effect, ease of cleaning and slip resistance. Carpet is a traditional choice, but it may not be capable of meeting the specific hygiene, safety and acoustic challenges of a care home environment. However, there are a number of other flooring options that have been designed with the particular imperatives of the care home environment in mind.
Impact sound reduction There are two key ways of driving enhanced acoustic performance through choice of floor covering. Firstly, acoustic flooring products are available with different impact sound reduction characteristics. In addition to contributing to a quieter atmosphere, specialist flooring can provide comfort underfoot, making it an effective solution for staff who spend much of the time on their feet. Other types of flooring can help reduce the risk of slipping. Among elderly residents, people with sensory impairments, those with dementia and people with physical disabilities, the risk of a slip or fall is, of course, particularly high, making safety flooring a must in high-risk areas. The Age UK ‘Later Life in the UK Factsheet’ stated that in 2017/18, there were about 218,000 emergency hospital admissions related to falls among people aged 65 and over; about 149,000 (68 per cent) of this group were aged over 80 years.5 The cost of treating fragility fractures in the UK each year has been estimated at £4.4 billion, which includes £1.1 billion on social care. Hip fractures account for around £2 billion of this total.5
Statistics
show that 5048 people aged over 65 years died after having a fall in 2017,
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space, particularly for residents with hearing loss. Whatever the age of the building, there are a number of ways of controlling noise in a care home. Fitting specialist floors with impact sound reduction properties or installing acoustic underlay is a sound way to achieve a quieter life.
References 1. Action on Hearing Loss. (2015) Hearing Matters.
[
www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/about- us/our-research-and-evidence/].
Wood effect flooring can help prevent a room from appearing clinical and unwelcoming
equating to 14 people every day.5 Specifying a floor that combines both slip resistance and impact sound reduction capabilities can be an extremely effective approach to reducing slips and falls. However, good hygiene is also important to protect residents with low immunity by reducing the spread of infection. Safety floors that are durable, stain-resistant and come with a lifetime sustained slip resistance guarantee can be fitted to enhance acoustic performance effectively in high traffic areas.
The environment created through interior decoration is, of course, an important factor. Wood effect flooring can help prevent a room from appearing clinical and unwelcoming, creating a comfortable, homely environment whilst offering significant practical and safety advantages.
Another way of driving enhanced acoustic performance is to fit underlay beneath a traditional vinyl floor covering to enhance its impact sound reduction performance. In some parts of the care home a fully acoustic floor may not be needed. For example, ceilings commonly reduce impact sound from above, whilst furniture, wall coverings and curtains can also absorb sound, making a fully acoustic floor unnecessary. In areas where wheeled traffic is common, a traditional floor covering could be preferable, as fully acoustic or soft floor coverings can increase resistance when pushing or pulling rolling loads. Acoustic underlay can provide impact sound reduction of up to 20 decibels.
Conclusion
The control of noise is an important factor in the wellbeing of care home residents, visitors and staff. Good acoustic performance is at the heart of creating an inclusive and comfortable
2. Ecophon Saint-Gobain. Impact of Noise in Healthcare: A research summary. [
www.ecophon.com/globalassets/media/ pdf-and-documents/
ecophon.com/cm- research-summary-hc-2017.pdf].
3. HM Government. Equality Act 2010. [
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/ contents].
4. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. (2015) Resistance to Sound: Approved document E. Building regulation in England for the resistance to the passage of sound and sound insulation. [
www.gov.uk/government/publications/resi stance-to-sound-approved-document-e].
5. Age UK. Later Life in the United Kingdom 2019. [
www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age- uk/documents/reports-and-
publications/later_life_uk_factsheet.pdf].
TCHE
Joe Hurst
Joe Hurst is a social care key account manager for Altro. He works with a range of the UK’s care home and social care providers, from large multi-site operators to smaller specialist groups and independents. Through trusted relationships with key stakeholders, he offers support, advice and information to ensure that all aspects of specified floor and wall finishes meet performance and design requirements, resulting in a homely environment.
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • March 2020
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