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Keeping safe and maintaining independence: older people and sight loss
Light for Sight
Peter Hodgson Thomas Pocklington Trust
Summary
l Prevalence of sight loss l Importance of lighting l Lighting equipment l Lighting adaptations l Supporting materials and services
Prevalence of sight loss
l Best estimates - registerable – 13% of those aged 75+ have serious sight loss – 33% of those aged 90+ have serious sight loss
l Sight loss is a normal part of ageing – 13 million people in UK over 60
l Specific eye conditions can make this worse – incidence increases with age
Prevalence of sight loss
l Sight loss affects everyday lives of 2 million people in UK
l Secondary to main reason for referral l Most people with sight loss have some
residual vision l Lighting can help people to make the
most of their vision
Pocklington research
l Findings from home visits – Low levels of lighting – Glare from light fittings – Slow adaptation to different levels – Poor control – Lack of available information / support
Pocklington research
l Assessments and adaptations to general lighting and task lighting in over 100 homes
l Light for Sight Good Practice Framework
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Light for Sight
l 8 Key Elements l Endorsed by 12 organisations
including: – Department of Health – RIBA & RICS – VISION 2020 UK – College of Occupational Therapists
Good general and task lighting
Daylight
l Control with blinds l Keep curtains clear of window l Reduce external obstructions l Keep windows clean l Light coloured sills and frames reflect
light into room
Improve energy efficiency
l Replace incandescent tungsten filament – Tungsten halogen
Compact fluorescent (CFL)
Plug-in Globe Pear Candle Spiral Double turn Triple turn
Light Emitting Diodes (LED)
l LED lamps – Technology developing rapidly – High initial outlay, but cheap to run
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General lighting
l Ceiling mounted l Diffusing shades
– Even lighting – Avoid glare – Hide direct view of lamp
General lighting
l Uplighters Light reflected from ceiling
Task lighting
l Adjustable task lights l Portable task lights l Ceiling or wall mounted
spotlights l Under cupboard lights
Lighting adaptations
l Improve general lighting levels – dimmable high frequency fluorescent in kitchen – brighter lamps (CFL) in diffusing shades – additional lights
l Add task lighting – fluorescent lighting under kitchen cupboards – mirror/shaver lights in bathrooms – lighting in wardrobes and walk-in cupboards
Hallway and stairs
l General lighting – Good level – No glare – Reveal steps
l Task lighting – Telephone
l Good contrasts – Surfaces
Hallway
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Communal areas Lighting - Top tips
l Tasks and movement around the home l Amount of light l Control – switching and dimming l Diffuse, even lighting, no dark shadows l Multiple light points l No glare – no direct view of lamp
Lighting adaptations - Top tips
l Avoid disruption to decoration l Use existing fixed wiring points l Lighting track for additional lights l Use existing electrical sockets l Use micro-trunking for wiring if needed l Convert existing twin sockets to triples
Seven characteristics of good lighting
Lighting should always be: ü Appropriate to each person ü Sufficient for activity and orientation ü Even, across different areas ü Adjustable for flexibility ü Energy efficient and sustainable ü Simple to install ü Adaptable for the future.
Lighting good practice guide
l Lighting in new and existing homes l Guidance on specification l Case studies l Checklists
Adaptations good practice guide
l Practical guidance l Adaptations l Involving people l Specific spaces l Indoors and outside l Checklists
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Lighting booklet
l Advice on lighting l Non-technical
information l Lamps and light fittings l General lighting l Task lighting l Further sources of
help
Lighting training
l One day workshop l Lamps & fittings l Demonstrations l Practical exercises l Case studies l Design tools
Specifying lighting adaptations
l Determine needs – Functional vision assessment
l Assess existing lighting provision – Client’s “adaptations”
l Determine possible adaptations l Produce specification for electrician
Some lighting options
Living Room Wall lights for more even lighting, freestanding uplighters, additional ceiling lights in larger rooms
General Individual switches, dimmable where possible, good quality portable and adjustable task lights, judicious use of colour in decoration
Kitchen Under-unit lights to illuminate worktops, cooker and sink, better shades to reduce glare and shadow
Bathroom Mirror lights over hand basins, upgrade of shaver lights low-energy units
Bedroom Wall uplights above bedhead, internal lights in walk-in cupboards, better match between number of fittings and room size
Stairs Use of better fitting light shades to reduce glare, spot lights that highlight stair edges, high illuminance on landings
SOME LIGHTING OPTIONS
Lighting Specification Tools number of lamps needed per room
200lux Tungsten Halogen GU10 MR16 CFLU 2D 2D MCFU MCFU
Target 100W 300W 50W 50W 30W 28W 38W 36W 58W
Length Width lumens Indirect
2 1 1270 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0
2 2 2540 2 1 4 2 1 1 1 1 1
2 3 3810 3 1 6 3 2 2 1 1 1
2 4
2 5
3 1
3 3
3 4
3 5
3 6
4 1
Contact details
www.pocklington-trust.org.uk
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