People want to age in their own homes.  We believe that familiarity with the layout of the house over many years is adequate for aging bodies, but most are unaware that homes in the northeast were generally not designed with aging in mind.

Consider how vision changes impact our ability to navigate in our own home.  At age 65 and older, we need four times more light than a 25-year old. By age 60, our pupils are about ⅓ the size they were at 20. As a result, our reaction time may be slower in adapting to changes between darkness and bright lighting. Distinguishing between colors may take more effort, with red-green the most common deficit.

Vision is one of the first senses affected in normal aging. Economical ways to counteract these changes include bringing more day
hile non-glare light bulbs at the maximum recommended wattage for lamps will help avoid direct glare. Task lighting in the kitchen, under cabinets, above work surfaces, and in closets is more commonplace, yet often missing in an aging parents’ kitchen.

Install light switches, grab bars, and staircase handrails in a contrasting color to the wall or surface to make them stand out.  Reflective strips on stairs are features not to be ignored, in an area where falls are common due to vision and balance changes, often because a person is carrying something.

Many accidents occur at night walking to a bathroom because turning lights on may be disorienting. You can lead the way to greater safety with amber-reddish night-lights that turn on automatically in the evening.

A qualified home safety assessment, by a professional knowledgeable in the human factors of the aging process and aging in place, takes change in vision, balance and other normal aging factors into account, providing greater safety and fall prevention at any age.