Lighting does much more than help us see. It influences how we move through our homes, how safely we navigate spaces, how well we sleep, and even how we feel. In a recent webinar from WAC Group’s The Science Behind Lighting’s Impact on Health & Wellness series, Mariana Figueiro, PhD, Director of the Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai, explained how thoughtful lighting design can significantly improve quality of life for older adults.

Her message was refreshingly simple: lighting designed for aging eyes is often better lighting for everyone.

How Aging Changes Vision

As we age, our eyes naturally become less efficient at processing light. The pupil gets smaller, the lens thickens and yellows, and less light reaches the retina. By age 60, the eye may receive only about one-third of the light it received at age 20.

These changes affect everyday activities. Reading, cooking, grooming, identifying medication, and safely moving through a home can become more difficult. Older adults also tend to be more sensitive to glare, experience reduced contrast sensitivity, and perceive colors less vividly.

The solution is not simply adding more light everywhere. Effective lighting design focuses on delivering the right light where it is needed while minimizing discomfort and visual fatigue.

The Value of Layered Lighting

One of the webinar’s key takeaways was the importance of layered lighting. Rather than relying on a single overhead fixture, designers should combine ambient, task, and accent lighting to support specific activities.

Task lighting is particularly important in areas where visibility is critical. Reading chairs, kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, medication stations, and hobby tables all benefit from dedicated illumination. In kitchens, undercabinet lighting improves visibility for food preparation, while strategically placed downlights can reduce shadows over sinks and work surfaces.

Ambient lighting should create a comfortable, even level of illumination throughout the room. Light-colored walls and ceilings can help reflect light and reduce the stark contrast between bright and dark areas. This is especially helpful because older adults often have difficulty adapting quickly when moving between different lighting conditions.

Minimizing Glare for Comfort and Safety

Glare becomes increasingly problematic with age. Bright exposed bulbs, reflective countertops, glossy flooring, or poorly positioned fixtures can create discomfort and make it harder to see clearly.

Dr. Figueiro recommends shielding direct views of light sources whenever possible. Indirect lighting, diffused fixtures, and translucent materials can create brighter-feeling spaces without harsh visual effects. The result is greater comfort and improved visibility, particularly in homes where safety is a priority.

Lighting and Fall Prevention

Lighting can also play a critical role in preventing falls, one of the most significant health risks for older adults.

Because aging individuals often rely heavily on visual cues for balance and orientation, the right lighting can support safer movement throughout the home. One particularly effective strategy is the use of horizontal and vertical nightlights. These fixtures help people identify spatial references when getting out of bed or moving through hallways at night.

Research highlighted during the webinar found that horizontal and vertical nightlights promote postural stability and reduced falls by 34% in assisted living environments serving residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Importantly, these lights provide guidance without producing brightness levels that interfere with sleep.

Supporting Healthy Circadian Rhythms

Beyond vision and safety, lighting directly influences the body’s circadian rhythms, the internal clock that regulates sleep, alertness, mood, and overall well-being.

The disruption of circadian rhythms becomes more common with age. Many older adults experience fragmented sleep, early waking, daytime fatigue, and reduced sleep quality. These challenges can be even greater for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or mild cognitive impairment.

Research presented during the webinar demonstrated that adequate daytime light exposure can improve sleep duration, reduce sleep disturbances, enhance mood, decrease agitation, and support cognitive function.

The goal is to create a strong daily light-dark cycle:

• Bright light during the morning and daytime hours.
• Dimmer lighting during the evening.
• Minimal light exposure during sleep hours.

Morning light exposure is especially important because it helps reinforce healthy circadian rhythms and promotes better sleep later in the day.

Looking Beyond Color Temperature

Many lighting discussions focus on correlated color temperature (CCT), but Dr. Figueiro emphasized that CCT alone does not determine circadian effectiveness.

Two fixtures with the same color temperature can produce very different biological effects depending on their spectral power distribution. For designers seeking to support both visual and circadian health, understanding how much light reaches the eye is often more important than simply selecting the amount of light and a specific Kelvin rating.

Practical Room-by-Room Strategies

Effective lighting design can be applied throughout the home:

Kitchen: Prioritize countertops, sinks, cooking areas, and breakfast nooks with targeted task lighting.

Living Room: Use layered lighting with dedicated fixtures for reading, conversation, hobbies, and entertainment.

Bathroom: Install vertical lighting near mirrors for even facial illumination and include low-level nighttime lighting for safe navigation.

Bedroom: Provide adjustable lighting that supports bright daytime activities while allowing light levels to be reduced in the evening to promote restful sleep.

Keep Controls Simple

Smart lighting systems can offer tremendous benefits, but only if they are easy to use. Simple controls and preset scenes such as Morning, Daytime, Evening, and Night make advanced lighting systems more accessible and practical.

Good Lighting Benefits Everyone

Designing for older adults does not require sacrificing aesthetics or sophistication. Instead, it encourages a more thoughtful approach that prioritizes comfort, safety, health, and independence.

By incorporating layered illumination, reducing glare, supporting circadian rhythms, and providing intuitive controls, designers can create environments that improve daily life for people of all ages. As Dr. Figueiro’s research demonstrates, great lighting supports far more than vision.

Continue the Conversation

Explore AiSPIRE