Appropriate lighting increases safety, independence and quality of life for older people Light for sight!

Thomas Pocklington Trust is a registered charity, providing housing, care and support for people with sight loss in the UK. At Thomas Pocklington Trust, our mission is to provide quality housing care and support services which promote independence and choice, and to fund research into the prevention and alleviation of sight loss. This resource looks at how appropriate lighting increases safety, independence and quality of life for older people. It has been developed with the College of Occupational Therapists. Thomas Pocklington Trust

The College of Occupational Therapists (COT), a registered charity is a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Association of Occupational Therapists – the professional body for occupational therapy staff in the UK and represents both registered practitioners and support staff. It is primarily involved with the setting of professional and educational standards for occupational therapy together with the promotion of research activity, evidence based practice and the continuing professional development of its members. The College represents the profession on a national and international level and has 12 accredited Specialist Sections supporting expert practice in key areas. To find out more please visit our website The College of Occupational Therapists

A discussion point: What might be clues from a person’s behaviour that could suggest they have poor vision?

Recognising who has poor vision  Symptoms and behaviours include: Giving up hobbies or activities Not eating or preparing food Not focussing on a person or task Not going out, or losing confidence to do so Changes in the home: less clean and tidy Not recognising people Appearing distracted or confused Wearing clothes that don’t match or colours clash Problems with mobility may be caused/exacerbated by sight loss

As we age, our eyes don’t work so well and we are at increased risk of age related eye conditions In the UK 13 million people are aged over 60 and they need on average three times as much light to see the same detail as a twenty year old 2 million people have serious sight loss in the UK At least 11 million more have some sight loss that affects their daily life

Most people with serious sight loss have some vision: appropriate lighting can help them make the most of their vision

Different eye conditions have different effects on vision: fuzzy images loss of peripheral vision loss of central vision Patches of vision Normal vision (Age-related macular Degeneration) (Glaucoma) (Cataract) (Diabetic Retinopathy)

Daylight and furniture Make the most of daylight, but control glare Position furniture, control curtains Light colours reflect light Contrasting the tone and shade of colours makes different objects clearer

Good lighting Glare free: shaded lamps Even light levels: no dark corners, or big changes between rooms High lighting levels: living rooms are usually lit at only 1/10 th of most offices Flexible: dimmer switches, movable lights Directed: on tasks and offer general light

Lamps, bulbs, lights Tungsten: being phased out Halogen: less energy use than tungsten, mains or low voltage (hot, expensive) Fluorescent: ‘energy saving’, varied shapes and sizes, give an even light in different shades of white (older models are less effective than new ones) LED: rapidly improving light levels in different shades of white (very low energy, long life)

Discussion points: What problems might you encounter when attempting to change the lighting in someone’s home? How might you overcome these problems?

There’s much more information on lighting available from Thomas Pocklington Trust

For information on occupational therapy and how it can help people with sight loss visit If you are an occupational therapist you can access a more detailed version of this resource here This is derived from a BAOT Member resource – if you would like more information on the benefits of joining BAOT please see the website baothttp:// baot Occupational Therapy