Hospitals and Nursing Homes

Lighting plays a crucial role in care facilities. Hospital patients who are undergoing treatment need to feel as comfortable as possible, with minimum disturbance. Their movements will be restricted to a hospital ward or perhaps only to a hospital bed, and they need to be in a space that they can feel comfortable in. Lighting can produce a comfortable and quality environment that removes visual stress. Out-patients, who frequently visit the hospital for treatment but do not stay in the hospital spend a large amount of time in waiting spaces. These need lighting that reassures, reduces stress and preserves wellbeing, keeping a positive mindset in difficult circumstances.

In care homes, occupants may be older and no longer capable of independent living or have a long-term illness that requires more intensive care. They need to feel comfortable and reassured by their surroundings, and the spaces need to be lit to ensure safety for people who may have poor vision and reduced physical and mental capacity. Lighting needs to unobtrusively create these spaces, preserving a feeling of familiarity and safety.

Occupants in hospitals and care homes also need to preserve a link to the outside world and the natural rhythms of day/night and the seasons as they are removed from directly experiencing them for a short or longer period. Lighting can help create this link, emphasising the outside inside the building.

Care staff need consideration and help to perform their tasks accurately, easily and with minimum stress, allowing them to provide effective care whilst also preserving their own wellbeing. Lighting needs to allow staff to easily discern colour, shape, and read written notes and computer screens. Therefore, good quality lighting that is controlled and controllable should be available.

And visitors need to feel reassured that their family and friends are receiving the best care in a quality environment. They also need help navigating around large, unfamiliar buildings, and lighting can also help in this. Large care facilities such as hospitals also have many ancillary spaces, canteens, rest rooms, laboratories, etc. These all need careful and thoughtful lighting to create welcoming and comfortable spaces. Well-designed and controlled lighting has to, and can, address all these facets of care facilities.