Statistics show many Americans suffer injuries in their homes each year, and falls are very common. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each day for fall related injuries, and over one third of adults age 65 and older fall each year. One of the tips the CDC provides for avoiding falls is to improve the lighting in your home. Increasing the light in areas such as the kitchen can also help you avoid other common injuries. There are many simple lighting adjustments you can make to improve the overall safety and comfort in your home.

Check to make sure you have adequate Ceiling Lighting, especially in stairwells. You should also have a light switch installed at the top and bottom of each staircase so the light can be turned on as someone runs up or down the stairs quickly.

Make sure there are adequate night light options in each room of your home, and in hallways, to avoid stumbling in the dark. There are a variety of fixtures that can work as night lights, including Wall Sconces and Table Lamps.

Many accidents occur in the kitchen, so be sure to light countertops and the area around your stove, where cooking takes place. Track Lighting, Under Cabinet Lighting, and FreeJack pendant lights are all options that can help you create a safe cooking environment.

The bathroom can also be a dangerous place without proper lighting. Make sure to include Bathroom Lighting in the areas around your sink and shower, as many falls can occur there.

Don't forget the basement and attic, where there is often minimal light and the clutter of items you do not use everyday. Avoid falls and other injuries while searching through your storage areas by installing Ceiling Lighting or Floor Lamps that can easily light your way.

Many falls and injuries also occur in outdoor areas such as patios and decks, especially after dark. Outdoor Lighting such as Post Lighting, Wall Lighting, Hanging Lights and Landscape Lighting can beautify your property while adding safety around your home.  Fixtures such as step lights can illuminate walkways in your yard, and lanterns can be placed near driveways and other high traffic areas. 

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.

Floor Lamps add an easy touch of light into any room. Depending on what style you are interested in, Floor Lamps can be classically elegant, a mixture between traditional and contemporary, or chic modern.

Generally there are four main types of Floor Lamps, which include Crystal, Transitional, Contemporary and Traditional styles.

Crystal Floor Lamps

Crystal Floor Lamps present the classic as well as the contemporary modern floor lamp, the time-honored silhouettes as well as the exciting designs of today. Quality and craftsmanship are fundamental parts to every crystal floor lamp.

Transitional Floor Lamps

Transitional Floor Lamps and rustic floor lighting honor the traditions of elegant simplicity combined with quality craftsmanship. These traditional floor lamps are made with wrought iron and offer a creative interpretation, with strict attention to detail.

Contemporary Floor Lamps

Contemporary Floor Lamps and halogen torchiere lighting come in classic, timeless designs that allow function in a beautiful form. Contemporary and modern floor lamps accommodate many settings, from a lodge in Colorado to an ultra-modern city condominium.

Traditional floor lamps and brass floor lighting are made with timeless designs that will outlast many home decor trends.