Light therapy for older persons with dementia is often administered with light boxes, even though indoor ambient light may more comfortably support the diverse lighting needs of this population. Our objective is to investigate the influence of indoor daylight and lighting on the health of older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities. A systematic literature search was performed within PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The included articles (n=37) were published from 1991 to 2020. These articles researched the influence of existing and changed indoor light conditions on health and resulted in seven categories of health outcomes. Although no conclusive evidence was found to support the ability of indoor light to decrease challenging behaviors or improve circadian rhythms, findings of two studies indicate that exposure to (very) cool light of moderate intensity diminished agitation. Promising effects of indoor light were to reduce depressive symptoms and facilitate spatial orientation. Furthermore, there were indications that indoor light improved one’s quality of life. Despite interventions with dynamic lighting having yielded little evidence of its efficacy, its potential has been insufficiently researched among this study population. This review provides a clear and comprehensive description of the impact of diverse indoor light conditions on the health of older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities. Variation was seen in terms of research methods, (the description of) light conditions, and participants’ characteristics (types and severity of dementia), thus confounding the reliability of the findings. The authors recommend further research to corroborate the beneficial effects of indoor light on depression and to clarify its role in supporting everyday activities of this population. An implication for practice in long-term care facilities is raising the awareness of the increased lighting needs of aged residents. Original article at: https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S297865
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Purpose In the Netherlands, the prevalence of visual impairments is the highest among the subgroup of nursing home residents. Over 40 percent are estimated to have visual impairments1. Older adults experience visual problems due to biological aging or eye disease2. These problems can affect several visual functions as well as daily functions in general3,4. Providing appropriate lighting of sufficient intensity and color temperature (CT), and making use of capabilities of the visual environment in the nursing home4 is one of the tasks for professional carers.Light conditions were measured in order to find out to what extent older adults live with the proper lighting conditions. With these data, we wanted to enhance the awareness among care professionals of how light conditions affect the daily lives of the nursing home residents. Moreover, care professionals and technical staff could make the right improvements to the nursing home environment based on the outcomes. Method We assessed light conditions (Konica Minolta chromameter CL-200) in seven nursing homes in the Netherlands. Light conditions were measured in places where residents spend most of their time during the day. In total, 59 living rooms and corridors were assessed in this study. Horizontal and vertical illuminances as well as CT were measured and compared to the values given in a guideline by the Dutch Society for Illumination5. The study was performed between October 2009 and the end of March 2010 at daytime between 10:00 and 15:00 hours. By measuring in autumn, winter and early spring, the contribution of daylight to the indoor illuminance levels was kept at a minimum. Results & Discussion In general lighting conditions encountered in the nursing homes were poor. Four-fifths of the measured illuminances in the common rooms were below the 1,000 lx threshold. Illuminances in the corridors fell below the 200 lx threshold in at least three quarters of the measurements. This means that nursing home residents may have difficulty carrying out tasks and could fall during transfers. The CT of light to which nursing home residents were exposed, fell below the reference value for daylight of 5,000 K with median scores of 3,400 to 4,500 K. High CT of light, in combination with higher illuminances, may positively affect the biological clock, resulting in better sleep quantity and quality.Nursing home staff should be aware of these data in order to arrange better light conditions. Technical staff should be aware that lighting guidelines are not specifically developed for older adults. Special attention should be paid to the fact that older adults need more light than younger persons to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADL).
The question we have chosen – and been invited – to answer is “What is Europe: Past, Present, and Future.” This sits within the resilient societies theme of the NWA call. The reason for our choice of the ‘resilience’ theme is based on the many disciplines working on the project, which stretch beyond the historic (living history theme) into the societal.It has a deeper conceptual basis, however. It springs from an assumption that a shared sense of belonging and inclusion is one foundation for and aspect of resilience – just as a rope braided together from many strands is stronger than one where the strands are fraying apart. Positive and inclusive expressions of belonging and affiliation are present in education, sports, and music – highly visible sites of representation that have profound reach and impact in society. Racialisation, othering, and selective or stereotypical representations, however, work against resilience. They are circulated widely and generate exclusion and hurt. In these linked work packages, then, we take up the question’s invitation to expand and disrupt, what the NWA’s call itself defines as a normative prior understanding of Europe. In the words of the question, this definition emphasizes Europe’s nature as white, Christian-secular, bounded by the geographic limits of Western Europe, shaped by Greco-Roman heritage and tradition, democratic, and home of the enlightenment. Our consortium seeks to analyze this representation, research and present more expansive and accurate ones in consultative reflective and co-creative processes. Through the process, the new knowledge, and our highly participatory research and dissemination models we will change societal understandings of the bounds of Dutch, and European identities. This will forge a greater sense of belonging across all of the communities, including academia, involved in our project.This project is vital for building resilience through tackling sources of fragmentation and alienation in past and present. It is much needed as we look forward to an increasingly diverse and mixed demographic future.
