Why is Lighting Important in Your Mom's House?

By Andy Niska | July 5, 2018 |

One of the most overlooked aspects of senior care is lighting. How bright is the lighting in your mom’s house? Have you ever stopped to think about it? Is her hallway darker than her main living areas? How about her stairs and any covered porches? Dimly lit rooms pose a hazard and should be corrected.

Senior Care in Liberty Lake WA: Home Lighting

How Does Lighting Pose a Hazard?

In dimly lit rooms, hallways, stairs, and entryways, the risk of falling on objects that aren’t immediately noticeable increases. A dark colored cat or dog sitting in a hallway can trip your parent. Your parent may run into a piece of furniture and fall. There’s also the risk of missing a step while going downstairs and falling down the stairs.

Every minute in the United States, an average of five senior citizens go to the emergency room following a fall. Each hour about three senior citizens die from injuries occurring during a fall. Fall prevention is important as your parent ages. Bright lighting is one of the first things you must do.

Lighting also impacts people with Alzheimer’s. Dimmer lighting can create shadows that are frightening to someone with Alzheimer’s. Sundowning also causes agitation and can be eased through the use of bright lighting before dusk and as the sun sets.

How Do You Increase Lighting?

Go through your mom and dad’s home before or after the sun rises or sets. Turn on lights and see if every corner of the room is illuminated. For rooms that have darker areas, put in lamps or nightlights. You may want to replace an older ceiling lamp with something that is energy efficient and brighter.

Track lighting works in larger narrow rooms. Install the lighting unit and position the different lights to point at different areas of the room. Light bulbs with stronger output can also help.

CFL bulbs became popular in the 1990s as states moved away from incandescent lighting. If your parent is still using them, replace them with LED. LED bulbs have dropped in price and don’t require time to brighten. Most CFL bulbs take a minute to reach their maximum brightness.

Get a Professional Home Safety Assessment.

There are other things within a home that can increase a senior’s fall risk. Find a checklist online or ask a home care agency if they do assessments. Some agencies will do a safety assessment when you’re looking into senior care services. With a safe home and the companionship and aide caregivers offer, your mom and dad can age at home without fear.

If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Liberty Lake, WA, please contact the friendly staff at Love at Home Senior Care, today. Call (509) 204-4088

Sources:

https://www.ncoa.org/news/resources-for-reporters/get-the-facts/falls-prevention-facts/

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Andy Niska

Owner at Love In Home Senior Care

Andy has over 20+ years experience in the medical community and has a true compassion for seniors. With a degree in Health Care Administration, he developed a background in a variety of health care services that only comes from first hand experience. While working as a manager of a large clinic and as an account executive for medical suppliers. Andy has built valuable relationships with the medical community.

His role in Love In Home Senior Care is to educate people on what care choice is the best fit for the senior and their family while attempting to make this decision as stress-free as possible for everyone involved.

This decision making process should be smooth and stress free for everyone, including all family members and their loved ones. Having access to people with experience (like the team at Love In Home Senior Care) to assist you along the way can help this process. With an extensive background in health care, Andy has the experience needed to guide and direct your loved one to the choice that is the best fit.