Is Laminate Flooring Safe For The Elderly

Slips and falls are the main cause of injury in a home and the complications that can result are usually much worse than a scrape or a bruise.

Is laminate flooring safe for the elderly.

During 2012 2014 by lumber liquidators were evaluated by cdc and atsdr. Choosing a flooring that will help prevent slips and falls is a critical part of this process. Slips and falls. Listed below are five safety issues for the elderly with tips on how to decrease the risks of each accident.

For senior safety ceramic floors are not the best choice for most situations. Also if laminate flooring did produce higher levels of formaldehyde over a couple of years the levels would decrease. The us department of housing and urban development maintains housing for the elderly and disabled who are low income and need living assistance. From the pattern of your floor to the material you choose your bathroom floors should be chosen with your safety in mind.

Formaldehyde melamine cyanuric acid isocyanates and aluminium oxide. Wood bamboo and laminate flooring is a hard surface with a soft natural look. According to the u s. I have laminate flooring made in china in my home.

Other laminate flooring made in china were not evaluated. Are we safe to stay in our home. The bathroom is the most important room to remodel for safety when it comes to aging in place. Avoid any cold porous material for flooring in an elderly person s home.

Laminate looks pretty good too and at a fraction of the cost of real hardwood or bamboo. Lightweight snap together laminate flooring is installed over a thin foam cushion underlayment. These materials namely ceramic tile porcelain or natural stone may look nice but they require a lot of regular maintenance and cleaning. Laminate flooring is toxic because the wood bonding adhesive and top layer contain and emit chemicals which are harmful to our health.

Snap together laminate flooring eliminates the need for voc releasing glues. Only certain types of laminate flooring made in china and that were sold in the u s. You can t beat the look of real hardwood or bamboo flooring. It s generally easy to clean and maintain and doesn t get as dirty as carpet.

And i don t think tile is a very good option for seniors as it s more slippery but more important many older adults fall no matter what and tile leads to way more broken bones which is way worse than sand on the floors. Hud safety guidelines for senior citizen housing. That makes it a good candidate for installations over most existing flooring with the exception of carpet eliminating the need for tear out.