Designing Nightlights to Facilitate Evening Activities among Older Adults: Illuminance and Hue Preferences

Studies have associated nighttime falls among older adults with their susceptibility to high light intensity and sensitivity to specific color tones of light. Based on that, this research aims to analyze the design of light to support the functioning of older adults during night hours. Older adults were recruited to explore older adults' preferences in nightlight illuminance level and color (n=10, 84.5 ± 3.5 years old. males). Their subjective measures (i.e., preference rankings) and objective measures (i.e., walking performance) were measured in different light conditions. The results indicated that older adults leaned towards dim lighting over bright lighting and favored cool colors over warm color's for their homes. Notably, when we assessed the objective measure of the walking performance of older adults, we observed a minor deviation from their subjective preferences in illuminance levels. This suggests a balanced approach, considering both subjective preferences and objective measures, is advisable for practical applications in lighting design for older adults.