Technical Note: Domestic lighting requirements for elderly patients

Abstract

It is a well established fact that older persons require higher levels of illumination to meet their visual needs, than do younger people. However, most interior lighting standards pay little attention to the needs of older persons. These standards give few recommendations for domestic lighting and rarely does illumination in homes meet the recommended levels. This paper discusses the role of the optometrist in the assessment of the response of older patients to illuminance levels and presents information which can help the optometrist better advise older persons on their domestic lighting requirements.