© RTV Oost Jolande Verheij
Nursing home,
The Netherlands
A nursing home for people with dementia started to use biodynamic lighting. Before they started using the Good Light, there was a lot of behavioural disturbances and tumult in the nursing home which expressed itself especially at night when some residents started banging the doors, dragging furniture or even physically fighting each other.
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​In dementia, the circadian rhythm can be disrupted, which can result in sleep disorders and disruptive behaviour during the night and day?. Also, elderly need more light than young people because they go outdoors less often. Bright light which mimics the sun (Good Light) has been found to be beneficial to restore the circadian rhythm, have a good night rest and for a better mood.
The lamps help to regulate the residents' biological clocks, improving their day-night rhythm. But this does not automatically eliminate all sleeping problems, Engeline says: "If the behavioural disturbances are caused by an irregular rhythm, the lamps will resolve this. But a lamp does not replace an employee. The employee simply has more time left to help people. To help the people who are awake or restless for other reasons, for example because they are in pain or suffer from sleep anxiety."
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The result of the biodynamic lighting in this test was astonishing. The pilot started in the middle of the summer months in the living room. The results were:
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Residents slept through the night again and felt fit, active and were in a better mood.
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The night-time disturbance decreased by 60%
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The extra lighting felt pleasant by residents, family and employees
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The nursing home will expand the lighting to more rooms to help more residents!
© RTV Oost Jolande Verheij