If you have fading eyesight, decreased alertness and/or uncertain balance, you will need more overall lighting as well as more lighting near chairs or the bed where you read or do handiwork. To keep the same reading speed you had at 20, you need 50 precent more light when you are 50, twice as much light when you are 60 and three times as much light when you are 80.

The amount of light is not the only important factor. The quality of light is also important. Light rooms evenly so that there are no dark areas or glare.

Here are some guidelines for planning good lighting for a person with failing eyesight:

• Use frosted glass globes in wall and ceiling fixtures to reduce glare.
• Lighting for watching TV should be relatively indirect and even throughout the room. Avoid contrast between a dark room and a bright TV picture.
• Use light-colored translucent shades or lamps to distribute light more evenly.
• Be sure shades on table lamps hide the bulbs.
• Three-way switches on lamps will allow for extra lighting when it is needed.
• Use night-lights in bathrooms, hallways, and bedrooms.
• Use lighted cover plates for light switches in the bedroom, hallways, stairs and bath areas.
• Arrange furniture in rooms so the person does not face a large window.
• Cover windows with a transparent or transluscent material like sheers to filter natural light and eliminate glare. Adjustable blinds or shades or transparent reflecting film also can control glare.
• All storage areas should have lights controlled by wall or easy-to-reach pull cords.
• In kitchens, provide lighting over counters and the sink. Track lighting or fluorescent light sticks that plug into electrical outlets can be added.
• Switches on table lamps should be easy to use. Twisting switches may be more difficult for the arthritic hand or accident victim. Some lamps can be converted so that they are turned on and off using only touch.

From: Life-Cycle Housing: Furnishing a User-Friendly Home, by Wilma S. Hammett, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, North Carolina State University. Used with permission.