Current Status And Prospects For Lighting Technologies In Senior Living Facilities

This case study of five senior living facilities in Northwestern North Carolina explains the current lighting scenarios commonly found in assisted living and skilled nursing long-term healthcare communities. The study argues existing lighting conditions in the indoor environments ordinarily found in these facilities–activity rooms, dining rooms, hallways, residents’ rooms, and bathrooms–do not meet current recommended lighting standards. Many qualitative benefits such as health and well-being relate to the technical qualities of artificial lighting including, but not limited to, the following: illuminance, color temperature, luminance, and value contrast. Current technologies–for example, BIOS technology and tunable white light–can help with elderly vision and circadian rhythm simulation. Additionally, with the advancement of LED technology, there are economic considerations for switching to a new lighting design. An extended examination of one of the five case study facilities substantiates that a retrofit LED lighting design will bring about annual energy cost savings and a short payback time as shown by a calculation of the return on investment.