Aging in Place? Consider A Living Room Update for Safety And Security
- mrsalehi5
- Apr 27, 2021
- 2 min read
Think About Lighting
One big risk for elderly people who age in place is being able to see well enough to navigate around furniture and other obstacles. If the lighting in your living room is poor, you have a higher risk of tripping over something or getting hurt in some other way. For the most part, however, changing the lighting shouldn’t be that difficult. The biggest challenge may be improving your overhead lighting, since being able to turn the lights on and see everything easily is vital for avoiding accidents. If you don’t already have one, you may want a switch near the door and one closer to where you sit, so you can have good lighting as you walk through the room and then turn the lights back off without getting up. You may also need to boost the wattage in your overhead fixtures, which will probably require the help of a professional.
Additionally, you can have extra light by using table lamps. It’s very important that these lamps aren’t easily breakable if they get knocked over, and that the cords are run in such a way that you aren’t at risk of tripping over them. It would be better to have fewer lamps than have cords in areas where you might walk or use a wheelchair. In order to set up the living room the right way and have table lamps where you need them, you may need to move or add an electrical outlet. That can cost money and require some sheetrock repair, but it’s generally worth doing to ensure you have good lighting in your home.
The kind of lighting you have matters, as well. You can choose energy efficient bulbs that mimic daylight, and these can help your mood as well as make it easier to see. With these types of bulbs, the extra lighting will actually be easier on your electric bill as well. Cost is something to consider when buying light bulbs, but the quality of light and how long the bulbs will last are more important issues. Keeping this is mind, it’s important to look for lamps that take the size and wattage of bulb you’re interested in. Very low wattage bulbs aren’t going to give you the kind of lighting you need to be safe and secure.
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