The first wave of "baby boomers" is reaching retirement age, and with it, a generation of self-reliant individuals faces the specter of assisted living. One possible outcome is the development of smart environments, where monitoring and home automation helps extend the time that "boomers" stay in their home while maintaining their normal life style. A large component of the smart home environment is lighting, and LEDs far exceed other technologies’ potential to meet the needs of the aging population.
Circadian lighting is an obvious place where LEDs—by being able to give a unique spectral prescription of light—can help normalize the sleep patterns of older adults, increase their sense of well being and be able to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Research coming out of the Lighting Research Center suggests that not just the elderly but all segments of society — especially in the era of deep-core offices — can benefit from appropriately-timed doses of light. Light and health will play an important role in shaping the future home.
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This article was published in the April 2010 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.
