Lighting for Older Adults

Older people come to healthcare professionals to help them with seeing. Care is most often provided through optical, prosthetic, or surgical techniques. Light is essential for seeing, but practical lighting guidelines are not usually offered by healthcare professionals to augment their traditional techniques. Patients, as well as healthcare professionals, lack experience with the latest lighting technologies and applications. Even the specialized lighting terminology is mysterious, further impeding the first steps in gaining that experience.

Good lighting can make the difference between seeing and not seeing for older adults with poor vision and between comfort and discomfort. Caregivers, allied medical professionals, and service providers can improve the quality of life of older people by recommending good lighting to mitigate some of the common problems associated with aging eyes.

This publication answers common questions about how to use lighting to minimize some of the negative changes in the eyes that occur with age. It also offers practical solutions to help healthcare professionals recommend lighting technologies and applications for the residences of older people. Indeed, these techniques will help anyone who wants a comfortable visual environment!