Typically, we don’t pay much attention to good lighting at home, but a well-lit surrounding is crucial for a family who lives with a senior. Regardless if it’s a care facility, assisted living, or any place an elderly calls home, good lighting is an indispensable feature for a safe environment.
Several research confirmed that poor lighting is a prime catalyst for home accidents. Not only for seniors with diminished eye functions or mobility, but even for completely functional individuals. A shadowy home especially poses higher risks to the elderly, leading to the worst outcome of trips, slips, and falls.
A senior could lose balance when going up and down the stairs if the surrounding area lacks illumination. Walking in on the living room with several cluttered things on the floor can also lead to slips if there’s not enough light. But all these unfortunate circumstances are preventable if people create a senior-friendly home.
We could all agree that a well-illuminated home aids our vision, especially during the night. In fact, some seniors can remain self-sufficient because their homes are built with attention to a lifestyle suitable for their age, which includes proper lighting.
Several home upgrades are available to achieve a safe home for seniors, but one that’s very simple is installing lights in home areas with poor illumination. These lights offer families, caregivers, and seniors a less perilous home for doing tasks.
Unlike other expensive home upgrades, lighting modifications don’t cost an arm and a leg. A simple change, such as placing extra bulbs in darker home areas, can significantly be useful to seniors and other family members.
Innovations for Safety and Who to Ask for Help
Good lighting is intrinsic in enhancing the quality of life of people in their golden years. Installing a bright standard or motion sensor lighting in dim locations improves vision and the ability to respond to risks. Before changing your home lighting, the first step you must do is to talk to a physician and elicit suggestions. This is particularly significant if a senior loved one has an existing health condition. Similarly, you can also ask for help from a therapist, vision expert, or senior care provider. They all assess your loved one’s health condition and mobility challenges prior to installing any kinds of lighting systems.
Since one piece of advice doesn’t fit all situations, collecting insights from care professionals will give you a solution specific only to your loved one’s condition and circumstance.
Advantages of Lighting at Home
If an older family member is retiring soon, consider modifying your home at the earliest possible time. But remember to check with a care specialist for modification options proportionate to your loved one’s needs.
How can your senior loved one benefit from a well-lit home?
It implements safety precautions since good lighting helps seniors identify threats. Seniors then can stay away from cluttered floors or obstructed walkways.
It supports seniors who love to wander around the home, especially at night.
It rids any threats relevant to food poisoning and consumption of expired goods due to vision problems and poor illumination.
It makes cleaning tasks faster and safer for seniors who live independently.
It amplifies interior elements, such as wall decorations and colors, which boosts positive feelings.
It supports seniors to be independent.
It also eliminates the risk of taking medications wrongly because of poor lighting.
It gives families peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
The decline in vision and other physical and mental abilities is part of aging. The most children can do for their independent senior parents is to ensure that the house they live in is safe, secure, and is intentionally built to promote independence.
