I am always unsure how to answer the loaded questions from clients. You can see them aiming and then they fire. “What are your thoughts on carpet in skilled nursing resident rooms?” They either hate carpet or love it. There is no middle ground in this subject. You would think we were discussing if there is a God or who you voted for in the last presidential election.
The solid surface flooring can be anything from VCT to sheet vinyl or wood vinyl planks. The argument goes that it can be cleaned easier than carpet, and it will therefore reduce bacterial growth and smells, as well as it is easier to move. The negatives are that it feels less homey and warm. If there is a spill, while it is easy to clean it up, there is also a high risk of a fall from the spill. Finally, it is noisy.
The arguments for carpet are that it is more residential, reduces noise, is less costly to maintain when life cycle costing is done, and if a resident falls, it will be a “softer fall”. If a moisture barrier backing is used and the carpet is direct glued to the concrete, spills and therefore smells can be extracted and will not continue to wick up. Most importantly, as hospitals have found, germs don’t jump and noise reduction is greatly helpful in the healing process.
So what’s the right answer? You decide. I know what I would want if I was the resident.
This is a great topic! I've been meaning to comment everyday for the past week and haven't been able to log on to my computer... so I'm glad my laptop is finally fixed and I can comment ~
In my experience I see carpeting do very well in less trafficked areas of a hospital such as a Medical Office Building or a Private Practice waiting room. For a Patient Room or ED waiting area I think it is a BIG mistake to put carpeting. My biggest reason for thinking it a mistake is the cleanability of the carpet. Hence carpet tiles I suppose would be a solution, however, to me it really isn't. It's an infection issue waiting to happen.
Stains such as bodily fluids, blood and other things dripping onto a carpet freak me out a bit. With so many great vinyl choices today I would think that one could find a vinyl to create the same atmosphere a carpet would give to you.
I typically ask my client Why? I always ask why they want something. Once I understand Why they want something then I can present options to them.
To answer your question, if I were the resident I would opt for a vinyl wood flooring where I could throw down my own area rug. Overtime I could replace the area rug, I could easily maintain the cleanliness of the vinyl flooring and with so many advanced options on the market, I know I could have a padding underneath the vinyl that would make it as soft as if I had carpet.
By the way, what would you want if you were the resident?
----------------------------- Lisa Robbins, ASID, Ritz Associates Healthcare Furniture Consultant Healthcare and Corporate Furniture Representative
