(NC)—At age 60, most people need four times more light to see as well as they did when they were 20. Fortunately, the lighting industry offers a wide range of design-friendly options to satisfy the needs of senior eyes.
"As we age, our corneas begin to develop layers like an onion," says Dan Blitzer, a continuing educator for the American Lighting Association. "These layers absorb more of the light coming into our eyes, so less light reaches the retina and its light receptors. Also, the lenses in our eyes develop tiny fissures that tend to capture more blue light, so what gets through to the retina is more light waves in the yellow spectrum. The net result is that as people get older, they get less light from their environment."
The experts agree that replacing all your 60 watt bulbs with 100 watt bulbs probably won't solve the problem, and could even be a safety concern if you put a 100 watt bulb in a fixture not rated for it.
Use Portables when Remodeling is not Practical
Not everyone is able or willing to completely remodel their home. Fortunately, many portable lighting options are available. For example, if you like to read in your favorite easychair in front of the fire, consider a torchiere that bounces light off the ceiling to create a glare-free environment. Or a floor lamp with a movable arm might be more to your taste. Hobbyists can clamp a portable light right onto their work table, Gilbertson suggests.
In the bedroom, installing a headboard with built-in reading lights is less costly than a remodel, yet more flexible than a simple lamp on your bedside table. Blitzer points out that the light (and its controls) can be installed in the center of the headboard, so that the light shines directly on the reader and not on the sleeping partner. Further, if the reader falls asleep with the light on, the partner can turn off the light without climbing out of bed.
For more information about lighting for the aging eye, visit www.american lightingassoc.com to find a certified lighting consultant near you.
- News Canada
No comments:
Post a Comment