For a project in a nursing home, our partner Axioma Nederland equipped a test room with human centric lighting (HCL). Eight MANTA fixtures from UNLUMITED were used for this purpose. These fixtures can be switched wirelessly via bluetooth and the color temperature is adjusted during the day to the natural course of daylight.
Last week we already wrote about the technical details of this project, but today we want to zoom in even more on the human aspect. Because ultimately it is about the comfort of the residents in the nursing home. They rarely or never go outside anymore and therefore benefit greatly from good and healthy light.
We also went to the location ourselves to think about the best lighting solution. The first impression was quite intense. If you also see how many people one caregiver is responsible for. If any of the other residents need attention, they have to wait because there is no one else there.
Day and night
Our eyes were also drawn to the existing lighting. It was not in a good state, even though the people who live there are very dependent on it. We felt motivated to come up with a better lighting solution. The newly installed LED lighting contributes to a better day and night rhythm. There is enough light and it is a healthy kind of light. It doesn’t flicker, so it won’t lead to headaches.
Still, it took some getting used to for both residents and employees. One of the caretakers said that it gave them energy, but for another it was a bit too bright for their liking. But that’s mainly because the rest of the building still has the old lighting. This makes the difference even more noticeable. Hopefully, all areas in the nursing home will eventually be switched to human centric lighting. Believe us when we tell you, there’s no going back after getting used to HCL.
Light, of course, remains a matter of taste and is also very personal, but healthier light is a no-brainer as far as we are concerned. Especially for people who spend so much of their time under artificial light. It was also an enlightening visit for us. Of course, we spend a lot of time designing, making and selling our products, but here lighting is used for what it is ultimately intended for. Light makes for a better life.
