The best practices to design a space

Gain insights on the six main aspects that should be taken into consideration when choosing flooring for establishments that provide care for people living with dementia.

Expertise

1. Tonal constrast

Tonal contrast is not a difference in colours, but rather a difference in tones. People living with dementia may not be able to see some or all colours but can often perceive light and dark tones.

For the best practices and more details about the LRV* guidelines.

*LRV (Light Reflectance Values) are used to measure tonal contrast within the built environment. The image shows some best practices when it comes to product LRVs

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2. Design and patterns

It’s important to keep the flooring design free of contrasting colours and patterns. These can be perceived as changes to the level of the floor, or objects to avoid.

We also advise blending any dots in the main floor colour, as dementia patients could mistake the speckles for pieces of debris on the floor and try to pick them up and remove them.

3. Shine

Shiny and sparkly effects in the flooring design can be mistaken for a wet surface. This can disrupt the gait of patients and increase the risk of slipping.

4. Layout patterns

The flooring should always be laid in the same direction. If it isn’t, this can cause patients to become confused and disorientated.

5. Smell & odour

Odours may accumulate from liquid or food spills and incontinence on the floor. This could create intense emotional reactions, confusion and discomfort.

All of Gerflor’s resilient floorings come with a high-quality surface treatment, this ensures a non-porous surface for easy cleaning.

6. Noise

A noisy environment can make social interactions much harder and intensify risk of falls. To help prevent this, use Gerflor comfort flooring with excellent acoustic properties to minimise impact sound.

The best practices to design a space

1. Tonal constrast

3. Shine

5. Smell & odour

Gerflor, the flooring group