LIGHTING IS CRITICAL

Effective lighting can make the difference in being able to accomplish everyday tasks easily and safely. At the same time, there are so many lighting choices that figuring out what’s best can be overwhelming. There is great value in seeking guidance from an eye care professional.

Lighting preferences are individual and depend a great deal on your eye condition. Solutions that work for someone with macular degeneration may not be as helpful for someone with glaucoma. There is a need to experiment; lighting solutions can vary depending on the particular task at hand.

Home Lighting Strategies:

• Mount under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen.
• Keep small flashlights near appliances and work areas.
• Use nightlights in hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
• Install lighting along walls, marking a path from the bedroom to the bathroom and along treads on stairs.
• Use lighting with dimmer options.
• Use flexible-arm lamps (tabletop or floor-based) to focus light on activities like reading, cooking, sewing, paying bills, managing medications, etc.
• Install track lighting with adjustable fixtures so that lights can be positioned on specific locations.
• Brighten up a room with a torchiere lamp with a halogen bulb shining up to the ceiling.
• Place home and porch lighting on a remote switch system; use a hand-held device to turn lights on/off and to adjust illumination levels.
• Use motion sensor lighting outdoors.

Five Helpful Lighting Tips

• Make overhead lighting and task lighting as even as possible (e.g., avoid using task light in a dark room).
• Position a task light to reduce shadows; for example, place an adjustable light in front of you or slightly to the side opposite your writing hand and focus it directly onto the task (craft, cards, book, etc.)
• Control natural light with shades, blinds, or curtains. Make sure that windows are behind you or to your side.
• Avoid glare by placing your computer monitor or TV so that light sources don’t reflect onto the screen (e.g., a monitor should not face a window
• Ask your eye care professional about prescribing lenses that reduce indoor and outdoor glare, and improve contrast. They come in a wide variety of tints with varying degrees of light transmission.

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