The aesthetic appeal of innovative Altro Pisces safety flooring is meeting the needs of local authorities’ home adaptations services, helping them to move away from products with a clinical feel, and offer residents a much softer, more homely choice of colours.
In one of its earliest applications, Altro Pisces was used in the home of a resident with special needs, enabling her to continue to live there with her children in a safe environment that also looks and feels just like the home she’s used to.
The local authority surveyor leading on the project explained that the aim of their service is to help vulnerable residents to remain independent in their own homes for as long as they can. “Many of our residents are still independent and can live at home, but struggle to get around, have limited movement, or they can fall. This is where we come in, by making adaptations that will enable them stay at home, make their lives easier, and of course as safe as possible
“In this particular case, resident Mrs Mohammed wanted very much to stay at home, but her medical condition meant it became unsafe for her to go upstairs, so we needed to refurbish her house for downstairs living. This included building an extension on the back of the property for her bedroom, installing an en suite shower room and adapted kitchen.
“The biggest concern residents have is that these adaptations will make their home look like a hospital. This is a legitimate point, and many of the products we have used in the past have had a rather clinical feel.
“But we want to move away from that and offer more appealing, domestic colour and style choices so that residents still feel comfortable in the homes they know and love, despite the changes we have made.”
Altro has recognised that in ‘home from home’ environments, looks really do matter. For those who live in their own adapted homes, or who provide accommodation, safety remains a top priority, especially in wet environments where the risk of a slip is high.
Altro Pisces brings together the best of both worlds; a wet environment safety flooring for shoes and bare feet which combines all the benefits of specialist safety flooring, with the look and feel of home.
Tiny beads of colour are blended and evenly distributed into the flooring. The result is the consistent, soft appearance that you would want from domestic interiors, with the lifetime sustained slip-resistance you expect from Altro.
Mrs Mohammed is thrilled with her newly adapted house, and how homely it feels. “I am so pleased with all the changes the council has made for me because this still feels like my own comfortable home, but better, because now it’s easier and safer for me.
“I was given a lovely range of colours to choose from, and it was so nice to be able to make these decisions for myself, and be involved in the process, rather than just given something plain and boring. I chose a nice grey blue for the shower room floor, which matches the blue walls. It’s a lovely colour scheme.
“Feeling safe in the shower room is very important for me, and the flooring is not slippery at all, even when it’s wet. I have someone in to clean it for me and they tell me this is very easy to do.
“It’s a miracle, really, that I was able to stay here. Everyone who visits me is amazed by what has been done in the house and very impressed with how it looks. I am so grateful to everyone involved.”