Do you have any idea how
hard it is to find a light bulb over
60 watts anymore? It tickled me when I heard a
fellow shopper expressed the same sentiments the other day (sometimes I feel
that I rant alone). Well lit rooms seem
to be out of vogue or else energy efficiency is more important than being able
to see.
Being able to see is important. Losing the ability to see well is a huge
threat to independent living. Older people need more light. I get very frustrated when I stay in a
vacation rental or visit people who think those bulbs with 60 watts or less are
a good thing. Doesn’t anybody read
anymore?
Everyday tasks such as
cooking, cleaning, reading or even being able to tell if you have spots on your
tee shirt are difficult without adequate lighting. Age related changes, whether due to cataract,
macular degeneration, glaucoma or just plain aging eyes mean decreased visual acuity.
Older people freely admit
that they need more light to perform the same activities that they used to do
with ease, but few people are consciously aware that bad lighting is
threatening their well being. Appropriate
lighting is known to prevent falls,
depression, sleep disorders and loss of independence.
Many people don’t know how to buy good lighting products or how to adjust the
lighting in their homes for maximum efficiency.
When the light level is increased and glare is avoided, older adults can
see better:
- They are better able to function on their own
- They can work on projects that they thought they
had to give up - They experience greater self confidence
Adequate lighting throughout
the house is important. Older people need higher light levels,
even illumination, elimination of glare and task lighting to facilitate independent
living. Keep in mind these simple tenets:
- Glare is bad
- Older adults need more light
After much searching I
discovered that three-way light bulbs still come in 50-100-150 increments and a
few 100 watt bulbs are still on the shelves (if you look hard enough) but guess
what, they are really expensive. It
might be just me but I would love to hear what others are doing to enhance
lighting in their rooms.
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