Better lighting could reduce falls in rest homes

A New Zealand study found aged-care facilities often have lower than recommended lighting levels, contributing to higher rates of falls.

“It's something that people have probably known or been aware of forever, that light's important, but very little research has been done on it,” said Professor Ngaire Kerse, chair of the Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research at the University of Auckland.

The researchers used industry standards to assess the levels of lighting in different areas of 12 long-term residential care homes in Auckland over a two-year period. They found many areas, particularly bedrooms and bathrooms, were below recommended limits. Almost three-fifths (57.7%) of bedrooms were below industry-recommended daytime lighting levels.

While the sample size (126) was too small to draw specific conclusions about fall location, the overall level of lighting in a facility was associated with an individual’s risk of falling, said researchers.

During the study period, 70% of participants fell between one and 225 times each. Of these, 57.4% occurred in bedrooms, 11.4% in bathrooms, 4.4% in dining rooms, 9.6% in lounges, 9.1% in hallways and the remainder elsewhere.

A recent US study showed upgrading lighting in two New England care homes reduced fall rate by almost half (43%) compared with two control facilities (Grant et al, 2022). The researchers concluded better lighting in care centres could reduce falls and need not be expensive. Another recommendation was for education on the need for facilities to install bright lights and to turn lights on when residents are moving around, especially in bedrooms and bathrooms.