Light for sight Appropriate lighting increases safety independence

Light for sight! Appropriate lighting increases safety, independence and quality of life for older people Slide 1 www. COT. org. uk © 2015 College of Occupational Therapists May be copied and adapted for noncommercial use by BAOT members only

Recognising who has poor vision. What might be clues from a person’s behaviour that could suggest they have poor vision? Slide 2 www. COT. org. uk

Symptoms and behaviours indicating poor vision 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 clashing colours Problems with mobility may be caused/exacerbated by sight loss www. COT. org. uk Slide 3

• As we age, our eyes don’t work so well and we are at increased risk of age related eye conditions • In the UK nearly 15 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 Slide 4 www. COT. org. uk

Most people with serious sight loss have some vision: appropriate lighting can help them make the most of their vision What links this topic to best OT practice? Slide 5 www. COT. org. uk.

Different eye conditions have different effects on vision: loss of peripheral vision loss of central vision (Glaucoma) patches of vision (Diabetic Retinopathy) Slide 6 (Age-related Macular Degeneration) normal vision fuzzy images (Cataract) www. COT. org. uk

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 Slide 7 www. COT. org. uk

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 the level in most offices • Flexible: dimmer switches, portable lights • Directed: on tasks and offer general light www. COT. org. uk Slide 8

Lamps, bulbs, lights • • 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) • Slide 9 Tungsten: largely phased out LED: rapidly improving light levels in different shades of white (very low energy, long life but expensive to buy) www. COT. org. uk

What problems might you encounter when attempting to change the lighting in someone’s home? How might you overcome these problems? Slide 10 www. COT. org. uk

There’s much more information on lighting available from The Thomas Pocklington Trust www. pocklington-trust. org. uk Page 11 www. COT. org. uk