Buying Carpets for Household with Elderly Members

Are any or some of your family member/s in your family is/are old ? If your answer is affirmative then you should take utmost care before selecting the carpet. Carpet is not only meant for decorative purpose but it has utility too. According to a study, carpet has the ability to provide warmth and style to a room, absorb unwanted noise and provide firm traction. Due to these qualities, carpet has gained a reputation as the floor covering of choice for aging adults.

Before buying carpet you should see that whether or not it is addressing the following issues:

Is it Safe?
For older individuals, safety is a top consideration. Carpet selected should enable these individuals stable, slip resistant walking surface that protects them from "slip and fall" accidents. Carpeted surface minimizes the risk of accident and even if the risk happens it is not so severe.

For older family member who is using brace, cane or walker, low pile carpet combined with an extra firm cushion is more suitable as maintaining balance can be less difficult with low pile carpet. For firm footing, it is advisable that your carpet is fastened securely. Reflected glare is also minimized by the use of carpet which reduces disorientation and hence reduces leg fatigue.

Is Color of the carpet is Soothing?
Colors effect the moods. For soothing effects, one should choose blues, greens, teal, mauve, coral, peach and warm neutrals. According to studies deep red and deep yellow can cause some problems. For example red color can raise the blood pressure whereas yellow can cause nausea. Hence these colors should be avoided. According to medical research, Alzheimer's patients remember colors better than numbers. Hence colors in carpet can provide a memory link and better help to orient a person to a specific room or area.

 

Do your carpet absorbs noise?
Noise of kids or footsteps can disturb the seniors who cherish their silence and peace. If you are buying carpet then make sure that carpet has an attached or separate cushion which is the most effective way to control noise and minimize sound indoors.

Do your carpet provides both comfort and warmth?
Senior members often complain about the pain in joints of feet and ankles especially when there is a change in temperature. However, carpet with natural insulating property will stay warmer and minimize this problem. The surface temperature of carpet is more than that of hard surfaces due to pile construction, which acts as an efficient thermal insulator.