At BetterWayzTM, we know that just because we are getting older does not mean we want to rely on other people to do the things we know we can still do. We are committed to identifying and providing easy access to solutions for you and your loved ones to keep you functioning as the individual that you are. Sometimes, just a small solution makes a large difference in how we can experience our lives. And as we age, excellent lighting becomes very important. If you do not already have sufficient lighting in the area of your aging loved one, consider the following solutions.
Brightness: Ensure you have effective illumination of at least 100W, if not 150W (1600 lumens–2600 lumens) of light available near the table
Our older loved ones tend to need bright lighting in their space to aid their challenged eyes. Placing a bright floor lamp near their chair or bed ensures they have needed lighting.
If you have a lamp that was not designed for this level of brightness, consider replacing the incandescent bulb with a halogen, CFL or LED bulb that provides greater illumination at the lower power rating of your lamp. Check with a local hardware store to find safe, lower power, visually brighter light bulbs for your current lamps.
Also, consider finding your loved one a lamp that has 2–3 lighting settings so they can use it at a dimmer level when they don’t need the full-on brightness. If your lamp doesn’t have this feature, it can be achieved on single setting metal lamps using a touch lamp adapter similar to this adapter available on Amazon. Installing this gadget allows the lamp to be turned on and off and rotate between three levels of brightness by just touching a metal part of the lamp. Note: Make sure that there is physical room between the socket and the finial to install this socket and the lightbulb in the lamp you are using it in.
Switch/actuation: Make it easy and painless
Sometimes as we age, we begin to have trouble with the dexterity of our hands and fingers. In this case, switching on and off the lamp with a traditional rotary socket switch is often frustrating, painful or even impossible. Pull chain actuation resolves this issue but may not help people with shoulder challenges. If the lamp is made of metal, this 3-level control socket is a solution that allows the lamp to be turned on and off as well as to adjust to three different brightness settings by just touching a metal portion of the lamp.
A second solution, if you have a BetterWayzTM End Table , is to place a specially designed terminal/switch (like this one) into your power strip located within easy reach inside the table. The lamp, plugged into this terminal, can be simply toggled on or off using the rocker switch.
Finally, an extension cord with an in-line foot-switch (like this one) could be used if the individual wishes to turn on or off the lamp before or after sitting down.
Lamp Position and Adjustability: Adjust the position of your lamp for your loved one
If buying a new floor lamp, consider a hanging floor lamp (like this one) or swing floor lamp (like this one), which allow the bulbs and shade to be physically above the area that person needs it to be while the lamp stand is behind or next to them. Additional lamps of this type can be found at BetterwayzSolutions.com. Many of these lamps have multiple options for adjustment, including height as well as lateral positioning of the lamp. Adjustments allow your loved one to have the lamp where it needs to be for optimal lighting of the surface they care about, while also ensuring that the bulbs themselves do not shine directly in their eyes. Direct bright light can be a challenge particularly for people that have had cataract surgery, potentially causing reflections inside the lenses in their eyes which distract or obscure their vision.
A table-top lamp that would work well with your own table or with the BetterWayzTM End Table can be found here. Additional lamps like these can be found here. If you choose to put a table lamp on the BetterWayzTM End Table, care must be taken to ensure that as the tabletop is opened that the lamp is solidly on the stable portion of the table, and that the table is opened smoothly to ensure that the lamp does not tip or fall.
Hopefully, with these helpful tips, your loved one can avoid eye strain and will have the lighting they need to safely and comfortably do the things they enjoy most. At BetterWayzTM, we believe that giving people back their autonomy and self-sufficiency, even in this small way, goes a long way to improving their outlook and their quality of life.
Please visit our website at http://betterwayzsolutions.com to learn more about BetterWayzTM and the BetterWayzTM End Table.
We hope you join us as we continue to find… BetterWayz!
