Time To Move Your Aging Parents In? How To Prepare The Lighting For Their Changing Eyesight

If your aging parents are going to be moving in with you, it's time to contact your electrician. The lighting in your home might not be set up for the specific needs of aging eyes. Unfortunately, without the proper lighting in your home, you could be setting your parents up for more accidents, including trip and fall accidents. Before you move your parents into your home, here are some things you should do to get the lighting ready for them.

Install More Lighting Fixtures

When it comes to aging eyes, overhead lighting is crucial, especially in the bedrooms. Overhead lighting ensures an even distribution of lighting throughout the room, which will prevent problems with darkened corners, or dim doorways. If the rooms your parents will be spending the majority of their time in do not have ceiling fixtures, have an electrician come in and install them for you.

Don't Forget the Task Lighting

If your parents are going to be spending time where lighting is limited, it's a good idea to have task lighting installed. The kitchen counters can be particularly difficult for aging eyes to focus on. To make sure your parents can see the counters when they're in the kitchen, be sure to have under-the-cabinet task lighting installed. If your parents are going to be spending time at the dining room table, you might want to consider having a retractable chandelier installed. This will allow them to pull the light down closer to them while they're at the table. This is especially beneficial if your parents will be doing crafts or puzzles at the dining room table.

Include Dimmer Switches

There may be times when your parents will need either less light, or more light, depending on the time of day, or the activity they're involved in. To make sure the lighting in your home can accommodate those changing needs, be sure to have your electrician install dimmer switches in all the rooms. The addition of the dimmer switches will allow your parents to keep the lights at a comfortable range throughout the day, and night.

Switch to Halogen or Fluorescent Bulbs

You might not realize this, but the type of light bulbs you use with your new lighting fixtures will play a big role in your parents ability to see in the house. If you're using incandescent light bulbs, the light may be too bright for your parents aging eyes. To keep the light at a comfortable brightness, switch to fluorescent or halogen light bulbs. Those types of bulbs burn cooler, which will help your parents aging eyes.

Contact local electrical services for more help.