Lighting plays a pivotal role in care home design, primarily because, as we age, our eyes can deteriorate so much that by the age of 75 we require twice as much light in order to see things properly. In what follows, we will look at the different types of lighting and how they can be utilised in a care home setting.

Natural light
Natural light is the most important source of light in a care home – or indeed any home –which is why we want to maximise it as much as possible. Natural daylight can boost our levels of vitamin D, something which barely any of us gets enough of, and also boosts our serotonin, which affects our moods. It also affects and helps regulate our sleep patterns, which is extremely important as we get older because sleep becomes harder to come by.
Here are some tips to help you boost natural daylight through care home design:
• Utilise large, floor-to-ceiling windows: not only do these windows give a room a real sense of space, they also let natural light flood in, which is ideal in communal areas like living spaces.
• Be mindful of where you place furniture: furniture placement is extremely important in care home living spaces and choosing to place things like sofas and armchairs in front of windows can really obstruct the flow of natural light into a room.
• Get your windows cleaned regularly: not only will regular cleaning let more daylight pass through, it will also allow residents to have a clearer view of the outdoors, both of which will contribute to an overall improvement in quality of life.
• Keep the interior bright: keeping the colour scheme in the care home light and bright will ensure that more light is reflected while giving the space an overall cheerier feel.

Artificial light
Unfortunately, even with the most optimal design in the world, natural daylight won’t be able to account for the entirety of a care home’s lighting needs. Here are some different areas where artificial light can be utilised:
• in dining areas and corridors, brighter ceiling lights can be appropriate to help residents more easily focus on the tasks of eating and walking
• in living spaces and bedrooms, softer wall lights might be a good option as these spaces tend to be less task-focused, so brighter lights aren’t as necessary. However, it’s also worth having stand-alone light sources such as lamps in these areas as they can be very useful for things like reading.

Aedifice Partnership manages new care home construction as well as refurbishment projects throughout the UK. For further details on the services Aedifice Partnership offers, please visit: aedifice.co.uk or call 0800 151 0234.

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