Exposure to light is crucial. This holds true for the health of both patients and staff. That’s why it’s a must to provide them with the right combination of electric light and daylight to help meet their needs.
Lighting equipment account for a good part of the costs when running healthcare facilities. It’s crucial to understand its importance and how successful layouts can help you save money. Having proper lighting can boost patient satisfaction surveys. At the same time, it also helps create positive perceptions of the patient’s environment. Well-lit interiors provide them with stress-reducing spaces which boost their overall well-being.
Most importantly, a well-designed system leads to a reduction in pain, depression, and medical errors. By understanding the lighting needs of the medical staff and patients, it’s possible to create a cost-effective and sustainable system.
How an Effective Lighting Design Works
One of the most significant components that affect the entire patient and staff experience is the level of comfort. That’s why experts recommend using integrated architectural lighting. Doing so helps avoid the adverse effects produced by direct downlighting. For example, a few establishments are now installing fixtures on either side of the patient’s bed instead of having light access limited to the ceiling. This prevents the light from shining in the patient’s eyes. Thus, eliminating the discomfort from the glares coming from traditional fixtures.
Healthcare establishments are also changing a few traditional lighting approaches. They do this to give way to better designs. Now, they’re using LED fixtures from hospital lighting suppliers. It’s an excellent choice to provide corridors with soft, indirect light. Doing so gives the halls a different vibe. It’s a better option instead of sticking to the typical hospital ambiance.
Choosing the Right Lighting for the Patient’s Room
Lighting for patient rooms can vary depending on the patient’s needs. Since various lighting levels can help them recover faster, having a flexible lighting system is the key. Providing them access to daylight through a window is a must in all patient rooms. Giving them an opportunity to see what’s outside allows the patients to get oriented to the outdoors. Nightlights can also help. These illuminate the patient rooms as well as the toilet rooms without disrupting the patient’s sleep patterns.
To help you save on energy bills, integrating occupancy sensors can be a great addition to your lighting design. These time-of-day controls can automatically turn off and on at specific times of the day. Applying a lower light level in the evening can give off a relaxing ambiance. At the same time, it will provide patients with enough light to see their way.
Conclusion
Light is crucial to human function. It allows a person to see things and perform his tasks. This is even more important in a facility that is dedicated to the health and recovery of people. That is why having a good lighting system is a must. So, for any lighting design, try to incorporate the needs of your patients as well as your employees.
