Lighting design professionals from companies such as Holtkotter and engineers from organizations such as the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America are now studying how lighting affects aging eyes, in order to determine the best lighting designs for people over sixty. Recent studies provide a wealth of information on the ways conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma affect the way aging eyes see light. Even without these conditions, studies show that our ability to see light changes as we age.

Facilities dedicated to servicing people over sixty are using this information to adjust their lighting designs, and the same principles can be used in your home. Many homeowners are unaware that their lighting design choices can have a large impact on the level of comfort they or their family members experience in their household.

However, simple changes in lighting design can make life much easier for people over sixty. The following tips from The Eye Digest, which is published by the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary Physicians, illustrate this idea. If you keep these tips in mind, you can create a comfortable and functional lighting design that is suitable for all ages.

• Put more time and attention and money into quality lighting design and equipment.
• Since we spend more time at home as we get older - lighting during the day should be an important consideration
• Ambient lighting must be available at sufficient levels to ensure psychological well being.
• General lighting levels should be much higher (2-3 times) than normal.
• Task lighting should be carefully arranged in order to avoid glare.
• Accent lighting provides information but is not distracting visually.
• Daylighting must be filtered to prevent glare and sharp contrasts from area to area.
• Lighting should be controlled so that it is easy to use.

Lighting manufacturers such as Holtkotter have conducted research that helps them design lamps and other lighting products with people over sixty in mind. After collaborating with researchers at the University of Colorado, Holtkotter determined the optimal light intensity for tasks such as reading, and developed new products as a result. With these innovative designs, people over sixty can enjoy lighting designs that are both comfortable and functional.