AlistairDuncan

MScDesignScienceIllumination,MBA,GradDipCSP www.ecolightingcentre.com.au::www.ecolivingcentre.com.au

LightingDevelopmentsoftheAgeingEye Theoldadageseeingisbelievingtakesanewtwistastheageingeye(>50years)beginstoseelessandless. Simpletaskssuchasreadinglabelsorhandiworkaremoredifficultandouranxietylevelsunconsciouslyrise.

Visionthroughtheeyesof MacularDegeneration Source:RPHnewsVisionAustralia

Glaucoma

Cataracts

Knownsymptomsoftheageingeyearewellknownandincludetheneedformorelight,thedifficultyfocusing whilereadingbooks,labelsorwatchingTV.Allofthesesymptomsarenormaltotheageingeye.Ageingeye diseasessuchasmaculardegeneration,glaucomaandcataractscompoundtheseproblems. Whatisnotnormal,iswhatwedoaboutagedcarelightingtohelpalleviatethesedifficulties.Oftenlightingis simplynotbrightenough.Itmaybebrightenoughfortheyoungadult,butnotfortheover50s.Research indicatesthatforevery10yearsthelightingbrightnessneedstoincreasebyupto2.5timesi.Furtherresearch suggests1000luxispreferredii.NotetheAustralianStandardforcommonareasisonly160lux.Fortheageing eyeasixfoldincreaseisrequired.Butitisnotjustthephysicalandnoticeabledegradationoftheeye;there arealsothepsychologicaleffects.Oursenseofwellbeingandourconfidencelevelsarelikelytodeclineand ouranxietylevelsincreasewhenwearenotseeingwell. Theimplicationsarewidespreadandnotjustforclientsinagedorresidentialcare.Itcanimpactyourbottom line.How?Energycostscontinuetoriseandthetemptationistoreducelighting.Theimpactsonyourstaffare alsonotsoobvious.Reducedlightingincreasestheriskofclientfallsandinjuries,asresidentsbumpinto obstacles,orsimplydonotseestepsandobstructionsandmoretimeandcareisrequiredbystafftocarefor theinjured.Theresultismoreworkloadandmorestaffstress. Understrengthlightingisjustoneproblem.Addtothisdisabilityglare,discomfortglare,poorcolour, inappropriatefittings,badlypositionedlights,toobrightlightsandthelistgoeson.Itisnotjustlightsthatmay betheproblem;youneedtoconsideraplethoraofaspectsthatarenotsoobvious. JustconsiderhowDcorimpactssafetyandwellbeingfortheageingeye.Lookatthepicturesbelow,andsee whichoneoffersabetteralternativetotheagingeye?

AlistairDuncanCopyright2012

AlistairDuncan
MScDesignScienceIllumination,MBA,GradDipCSP www.ecolightingcentre.com.au::www.ecolivingcentre.com.au

amilkjug

adinnerplate

acoffeecup

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Ifyouwereinchargeofselectingeverydayitems,whichwouldyouchose?Adesignorpatternyoupersonally like?Orwouldyouconsiderhowtheageingeyewillprocessthevisualimage?Itlookssimpletochoose,at leasttotheyoungereye.Itisnotjustaboutdesignand/orprice.Fortheageingeyethereisaclearpreference.

Seeendofarticleforthepreferredoptioniii.

Therightchoicesfortheageingeyerequiresdecisionseffectingalldcor,surfaces,flooring,lightfittings,the positionofdesksandtablesnearwindows,thelightinginbathrooms,transitionareasincorridors,how externalpathwaysarelitetc.;andhowandwheredaylightisintroducedtolivingspaces. Soitsnotsosimpleafterall.Professionallightingdesignerscanassistinassessingtherisksassociatedwith inappropriatelightingandrelatedtheirrelatedglareissues. Whatbenefitscanyouobtainifwedesignfortheagingeye?Firstlyiflightingisgiventhecareandattention wecanexpectsocialbenefits,happier,healthierclients,lesspronetoworryandcertainlynotsoanxious.Good lightingdesignusingnewlowenergytechnologiescanhelpminimisethesedifficultiesresultinginlower energyusageandbetterlightforallconcerned.Therearealsofinancialbenefits,theGovernmentishappyto assistwithgrantsuptoaround40%asyouimplementthesetechnologies.Naturallythereareconditionsbut thesearenotonerous.Thesearesubtlewaystocareforyourclientsandyourstaffandmightalsoimprove yourreputation. Goodlighting,wellpositioned,withtheappropriateintensity,fitting,beamangle,colourtemperaturecan producesurprisingresultsandcausetheageingeyeandyoutoworrylessandcreateasaferlivingandworking environment.
i

Blackwell,O.M.andBlackwell,H.R.VisualPerformanceDatafor156NormalObserversofVariousAges,JournaloftheIlluminatingEngineering Society,Vol.1,No.1,pp.313,October1971. ii Sorensen,S.andBrunnstrom,G.,1995.Qualityoflightandquantityoflife:Aninterventionstudyamongolderpeople,InternationalJournalof LightingResearchandTechnology,TheCharteredInstitutionofBuildingServicesEngineers,LondonEngland.Vol.27,No.2.pp.113119,1995. iii Allitemsonthebottomrowoffermorecontrastandareeasiertoseefortheageingeye.

AlistairDuncanCopyright2012