The Power of Light and Space in Alzheimer’s-Dementia Friendly Environments
Start the new year off with a bit of winter cleaning. Dementia and Alzheimer’s care is complex and can be challenging to manage. So how is it possible that lighting and space construction aspects help seem to make a difference? The answers may surprise you.
Bio dynamic lighting allows seniors with dementia to harness daylight’s biological effects even in an environment with artificial lighting. These biological effects are profound. Reduced exposure to daylight can lead to sleep problems, mood disorders and chronic fatigue. Meanwhile, bio dynamic lighting allows us to mimic the variations of natural daylight through intentional design and light management. From a design and construction perspective, opportunities are all around.
First, it’s important to note how lighting is shown to make a significant difference in the lives of senior living residents, in particular residents with dementia. As a care professional BrightStar recommends the following tips as some recommendations for designing and building a dementia-friendly environment.
- Maximize exposure to daylight during the day, but especially in the morning
- Evenly illuminate spaces, to minimize contrast and especially shadows
- Minimize exposure to blue-rich light sources after 8 p.m.
- Use amber, or warm light sources, after sunset
- Create dark environments for sleeping
- Avoid using artificial light sources during the night
- Be mindful of quality of life over quantity of light
As a start to the new year try some of these new arrangement ideas and you’ll find that they may help your loved one or care patients in creating order within the structures of their lives.
Source: https://communitylivingsolutions.com/the-power-of-light-and-space-in-dementia-friendly-environments