EFFECTIVE INTERIOR LIGHTING

In the quest for hospitals and outpatient facilities to make patients feel more “at home” while still meeting the needs of medical and health-care staff, interior lighting is a significant factor. Further, lighting design must also meet the infection-control and electrical requirements to support the equipment needed for procedures. With all of this in mind, we can look at some specific interior lighting strategies as follows.

Layered LED Lighting Design

Within all health-care settings, there are several layers of lighting needs. Care providers need task lighting for better visual acuity, and the commonly bright lights in these settings provide that. However, patients are more comfortable with different levels of lighting and some ability to control it. That can include lighting that is dimmable, indirect lighting, or location-specific fixtures that put the light only where it is most needed. Further, safety lighting is needed, particularly in overnight facilities where low-level, low-brightness, and color-selected light is not disruptive to sleeping patients.

The incorporation of layered lighting, including decorative lighting, makes a noticeable difference in meeting the multiple needs of patient rooms. One approach is to incorporate cove lighting to provide indirect illumination on ceilings and behind patient headboards for comfortable glare-free ambient light, decorative wall sconces can provide a home-like atmosphere and offer sufficient task lighting. Ceiling and safety lighting can be added to this scheme as needed to create a total lighting design.

Outpatient facilities are also paying more attention to their lighting design, particularly in check-in areas and lobbies. The incorporation of decorative pendants over reception areas communicates an updated contemporary design. Architectural lighting, along with decorative luminaires, offers smooth lines and easy-to-clean surfaces for a sleek, modern aesthetic.

All of these different lighting fixtures of course raise the question of light color and energy use. Both concerns are increasingly being answered with the rapid advancement of some very sophisticated LED lighting products. The color of the light is inherently controllable in LED fixtures, such that warmer-colored lighting (e.g., 3000K) can be used where appropriate for a more “homey” look, while brighter and whiter lighting (e.g., 6000K) can be used for high lighting needs. Energy efficiency comes from the very low energy-usage needs of LED lights to produce the same or more light output (lumens) as other types of fixtures, such as fluorescent, halogen, or incandescent.

LED Lighting Controls

Photos courtesy of WAC LIGHTING

Different conditions and spaces in health-care facilities require different layers of light to be designed. LED lights offer a variety of options to achieve just that.

One of the benefits of LED lighting is that it is very easy to provide controls in any room to dim or switch on/off the fixtures. This provides patients with more autonomy over their environment, resulting in an improvement of their personal comfort and satisfaction. Further, it offers care providers options for lighting when checking on patients at different times of the day or night. So, hourly checks may still be required, but the entire room should not need to be illuminated for routine actions like checking blood pressure, etc.

Designing lighting for human welfare in health-care projects also means utilizing light sources that can provide full-spectrum light, similar to daylight. Some LED luminaires can be color tuned to adjust the spectrum and brightness of light throughout the day to emulate changes in natural daylight. Studies show that patients exposed to natural daylight have better recovery outcomes, while exposure to blue and bright light inhibit the body’s natural production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleeping restfully through the night.

WAC LIGHTING President Shelley Wald comments on the relationship between light and rehabilitation. “Many health-care facilities are seeking certification to maximize the well-being of patients, employees, and other visitors. Therefore, the lighting in patient rooms is being designed around the visual comfort of the patients, while providing caregivers with visual acuity and enhancing circadian rhythms for personnel working the day or night shift.” Recognizing this approach, health-care spaces can be beautifully enhanced with architectural and decorative lighting that provides patients with the best possible outlook, well-being, and recovery.

Infection Control

For optimal lighting design, a key requirement is the ability to spray and wipe to disinfect lighting fixtures and other materials directly contacted by patients, visitors, and employees. Lighting built into coves and case-goods also needs to be regularly disinfected. LED lighting responds to these needs with smooth surfaces and protective damp- and wet-location finishes that can be regularly cleaned. Fixtures can be specified with specialty powder-coated finishes that actually deter and restrain the growth of bacteria on their surfaces, while others can be specified with materials that have been shown to be antimicrobial. Beyond the fixtures, the controls for lighting can address infection control as well. Incorporating motion sensors, vacancy sensors, and time-scheduled controls make it possible to limit contact with switches that may spread infection.

LED LIGHTING ILLUMINATES HOMEAID CARE CENTER, HOMELESS SHELTER

Photos courtesy of WAC LIGHTING

Project: HomeAid Care Center
Location: Orange County, California
Architect: Michael Schrock, Principal, and Jorge Regueiro, Project Manager, Urban Arena

The Project: HomeAid Orange County’s Family CareCenter provides a hospitality-style experience for homeless families with access to vitally needed year-round emergency housing in Orange County and care services critical to their survival. The 56-bed, 10,000-square-foot facility increases the year-round availability of emergency shelters by focusing on rapidly rehousing families within 30 to 45 days through case management.

The Challenge: An effective interior lighting design was crucial to meet the sanitary requirements and electrical codes of the facility while making families feel more at home and fulfilling the needs of the staff working around-the-clock shifts. Unlike other shelters best structured for individuals, the Family CareCenter is a safe environment designed for the care of both the parents and their children. According to Evan Miles, project manager for HomeAid, “We did have challenges identifying how to get the appropriate look for a facility that welcomes families and provides the comfort of home. We do believe that the quality of our environment has a tangible impact on the success of families who are seeking to end their homelessness.”

The Design Solution: Integrating layered lighting has made a noticeable difference in meeting the multiple needs of each of the rooms while focusing on the well-being of the people in this care environment. “We incorporated a layered look: LED pendants for decorative lighting and functional down lights for glare-free task and ambient illumination” Miles continues. “The LED lights perform perfectly and have a wonderful look, adding a high-quality yet welcoming appeal to our facility.”

Simple and understated, white cased glass cylinders complement the interiors, while recessed luminaires provide robust illumination that offers staff excellent visual acuity. Luminaires use integral color mixing to imitate daylight changes in color and brightness throughout the day. Modern, ADA-compliant, wet-rated LED vanity lights and wall sconces were installed in the bathrooms for a clean architectural aesthetic and flattering diffused illumination. “Flattering lighting helps people to look healthier, which can improve their outlook and mental health,” explains Shelley Wald, president and CEO of WAC LIGHTING.

Individuals are more empowered with various levels of lighting and some ability to control it, including indirect lighting or location-specific fixtures that place the light only where it is most needed. Soft and color-selected wayfinding LED lights deliver safety and security during the evening while individuals are sleeping and are safe to the touch for curious little fingers.

The Results: HomeAid has created positive societal change for nearly three decades. Utilizing sophisticated LED lighting technologies and energy efficient luminaires, the Family CareCenter is a welcoming, well-lit space that meets a critical need as a safe and sanitary environment for children, something the most-vulnerable families of Orange County desperately need to get back on their feet.

Additional Projects: WAC LIGHTING is utilized in a multitude of high-profile nursing centers, hospitals, doctors offices, and other medical facilities across the nation. Among its broad selection of health-care lighting products, specialty recessed lighting uses integral color changing with control technologies to imitate daylight with adjustable color and brightness throughout the day. In addition, step and wall wayfinding lights with a specialized antimicrobial finish deter bacteria growth.

CONCLUSION

Health-care facilities are trending toward providing more comfortable, welcoming environments for patients, staff, and visitors. Manufacturers are offering products that support that trend while still meeting the requirements for hygiene, durability, and sustainability. Design professionals who stay up to date on these trends and offerings can provide better health-care facilities to support client goals and improve user experiences.