Circadian lighting is not just about improving visibility – it is about supporting wellbeing. Jo Cheshire, director of marketing and communications at WCS Care, explores the difference circadian lighting is making for people living with dementia, and how WCS Care is making it a practical reality for homes across the UK
Over the past several years, WCS Care — a not-for-profit charity that operates 13 care homes across Warwickshire — has worked with a group of expert partners to develop a retrofit solution that brings the benefits of circadian lighting into older care homes without the need for expensive rewiring or major disruption.
Research has shown that the majority of care home residents spend very little time outdoors — in most cases getting outside as little as once a month. This is often due to locked doors, staffing pressures, or practical concerns like weather and clothing.
Further, 1 in 15 people in the UK suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which, because we live in the northern hemisphere, tends to impact people between September and April, and 1 in 5 people with Alzheimer's get sundowning syndrome — sometimes called late-day confusion, but it can also happen to older people who do not have dementia.
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