Home for the Elderly in Beroun (DS TGM)

Client: TGM Home for the Elderly, public benefit organisation
Field of activity: social services

Description of the problem or challenge

Situation: Seniors often stay indoors, without exposing themselves to natural light. The contrast between night and day is significantly reduced, which negatively affects their sleep, mood, mental abilities and overall health.

Assignment: Conduct an experiment to determine if biodynamic light has the ability to improve the health and cognitive abilities of seniors and caregivers.

Solution

Hypothesis: Biodynamic lighting faithfully replicates the light regime in nature and fundamentally varies the intensity of the day x night light spectrum. Such lighting is optimised to naturally synchronise the circadian clock of the elderly and is expected to have long-term positive effects on health and vitality.

Description of the solution

Installation of Spectrasol biodynamic lighting in the premises of DS TGM with follow-up experimental research on the effects achieved conducted by scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings of CTU (UCEEB).

• Replacement of lighting in six experimental and six control rooms including hallways and bathrooms, the main dining room, two nurses’ stations, the creative workshop and the main hallway
• In cooperation with experts from the CTU, daylight lighting has been created that is spectrally close to natural light, as well as evening luminaires that have a low content of the blue and cyan component of the spectrum as in the sun at sunset, and a third night-time automatic orientation lighting system where the blue, cyan and green component is completely eliminated, similar to the light from fire.
• The full-spectrum invigorating white daylight synchronises circadian rhythms and supports cognitive functions and mood, the evening relaxing warm white light prepares the body for sleep and night regeneration, the night orange orientation light is sufficient for visual orientation of clients and staff and does not disturb sleep and circadian rhythms at night.
• After the successful experimental installation and verification of its effectiveness, biodynamic circadian lighting was applied in all areas of the home.

Key results:

The research team continuously monitored the biological and psychological functions of 19 clients ((a) clients using the light system, (b) a control group in normal mode) and 13 staff volunteers using questionnaire and cognitive testing, wrist actigraphy, which measures activity level and sleep quality, and a number of other parameters, including the rhythm of salivary melatonin levels.

Results

• Clients in the test group reported a statistically significant increase in the level of desirable nocturnal melatonin. At the same time, the level of residual unwanted daytime melatonin decreased, which improved the quality of sleep at night and reduced the prevalence of daytime sleeping, called napping.
• Clients from the rooms with biodynamic lighting also improved in cognitive performance (as measured by the Addenbrook cognitive test) after ten weeks.
• Actigraphic measurements also showed an improvement in rhythms in daily physical activity and sleep due to overall consolidation of the circadian system.
• Research team determines that installed biodynamic circadian lighting has significantly improved the quality of life for home clients
• Seniors in the test group self-reported improvements in sleep, mood and safety of movement at night.

You can read the detailed results of the experimental research in the press releases below, or in a detailed report from the National Institute of Mental Health here:

Výzkum Národního ústavu duševního zdraví prokázal pozitivní účinky biodynamického osvětlení na tvorbu melatoninu, denní vitalitu, kognitivní funkce a kvalitu spánku klientů i personálu domova seniorů

Statement from the client and the scientific team:

“Residents of nursing and old people’s homes are often less mobile and, especially in the winter months, when they should be in natural light as long as possible, they often stay indoors all day. At night they sleep poorly, as a result of which they light up more often, and it is common for the staff of care institutions to turn on the full ceiling lighting during night checks on the elderly”, said Mgr. Ondřej Šimon, MPA, Director of the Home for the Elderly in Beroun (DS TGM).

“Moreover, the seniors in the tested group described improved sleep, mood and safety of movement at night after the lighting was replaced, which also confirms the positive benefits of biodynamic lighting for their quality of life”, referencing another, equally important result after the installation of lighting, Mgr. Ondřej Šimon, MPA, Director of the TGM Home for the Elderly in Beroun, added a further equally important result of the lighting installation.

“The research was taken part in by 19 clients of the TGM DS in Beroun (11 clients in the test group – biodynamic lighting was applied in their rooms, 8 clients in the control group – the change of lighting in the rooms was only simulated, the lighting parameters remained unchanged) and 13 volunteers from among the staff“, described the conditions of the study, said Dr Lenka Maierová of CTU regarding the conditions of the experiment.

“Our oldest citizens deserve the best care we can give them. I’m a nurse by profession, so I know how important it is to support the care of the elderly and sick, which is why I have made it one of my key goals. That is why we decided to implement this pilot project of innovative lighting application and expert study with the National Institute of Mental Health. Scientists clearly state that these special lights are a significant benefit for improving the symptoms of ageing in the elderly, and therefore we will consider their further application”, said Mgr. Aneta Heřmanová, DiS, Councillor for Social Affairs, explaining the ambitions of the Central Bohemian Region in supporting the project.

Press releases:

https://www.spectrasol.cz/ze-zdravotnictvi-biodynamicke-svetlo-pomaha-seniorum-dokazal-to-vedecky-experiment/
https://www.spectrasol.cz/nova-magazin-vikend-bio-dynamicke-osvetleni-spectrasol-domov-senioru-beroun/
https://www.spectrasol.cz/hlavni-zpravy-ct-specialni-osvetleni-v-domove-pro-seniory/
https://www.spectrasol.cz/denik-cz-biodynamicke-svetlo-pomaha-seniorum-prokazal-to-unikatni-vedecky-experiment/

Illustration photo: