Seniors are over three times more likely to suffer a fracture when falling on vinyl floors than carpet and other low-impact flooring, according to a recent study. Research from the University of Otago, New Zealand, found that older patients were 12% less likely to be injured when falling on low-impact flooring (LIF) such as carpet.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, showed that only 0.7% of falls on LIF resulted in a fracture, compared with 2.3% for standard vinyl flooring. According to a further study carried out by the US National Library of Medicine ‘compliant’ flooring—flooring systems or coverings containing some level of shock absorbency—also has the potential to reduce the severity traumatic brain injuries, hip fractures, and other fall-related injuries.