Everyone's vision deteriorates with age, but there are ways to lessen its impact. Good lighting can make the difference between seeing and not seeing for older adults.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed principles for lighting for older adults and tested those principles in two assisted living facilities. The test results demonstrated that lighting helps older adults maintain their independence and improves their quality of life.

The AARP Andrus Foundation awarded the LRC a Dissemination Grant to develop these guidelines for designing lighting for older adults. The LRC developed three guidelines that address the needs of 1) the general public, including older adults and their families 2) designers and builders and 3) health care professionals.