LET THERE BE LIGHT
By Dr. Marion Somers, Ph. D., Ask Dr. Marion
QUESTION: As my grandmother has aged, she has become very cheap. How can I make some small changes to improve her home and not spend too much money? Mort in Oklahoma, 49
ANSWER: The need for better lighting around the house increases as a person ages, but it is often ignored. I'm very serious about this important safety issue. You might be surprised how often lack of lighting leads to accidents with the elderly. Some of my clients had lamps that were missing light bulbs, or flashlights with dead batteries. Go through your grandmother's home on a cloudy day and determine where the lighting needs to be augmented. It might be as simple as increasing the wattage in each lamp. Often, additional lights need to be installed in the most-traveled sections of the home. Flashlights also must be readily available in case the lights go out.
©2006 Elder Health Resources of America, Inc.