Jim Lowther, sales director, Xtralite, discusses the positive impact that natural light can have on the wellbeing of care home residents and how this can be achieved in both new build and renovation projects
The benefits of natural light are far reaching; over the past few years, research has shown that it really does have a positive impact on wellbeing and mental health. Of course, in the same way, a lack of natural light can have a detrimental effect. In 2018, a study by experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York highlighted the negative impact that a lack of natural light can have, particularly on those with dementia.1
The research was subsequently presented at a major Alzheimer’s conference in Chicago, with the study findings showing that by increasing natural light during the day and reducing levels of light at night, the body’s circadian rhythm was reset, which had a hugely positive impact on care home residents.
The sleep disturbance baseline and findings were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Index (CMAI).1
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