As somebody who works in aged care and loves their job, I can’t believe how much of a difference the renovation to our nursing home recreational room has made – to everyone who uses it. Over the years that I’ve worked in the home, I’ve observed that the residents are very responsive to their environment. I now see, easily, that the right commercial lighting for a nursing home can have a direct effect on the resident’s mood.
The rec room isn’t a terrible place to be- there’s been a big effort made to ensure it is comfortable. It has soft furnishings and comfortable chairs, a piano that some of the residents play, a television and not-too-soft sofa. We had gone to great efforts to make it feel like a communal lounge, but there were still problems with what we offered. So we looked into designer LED lighting for Melbourne homes
The problem with the recreational room was that it was brightly lit and resembled more of a clinical space than anything else. While I guess the thinking was that the lighting should serve a purpose and work with the likely disabilities many of our residents have, it really didn’t consider how valuable a homely, comforting vibe would be. Don’t get me wrong, the look wasn’t bad, and to anyone walking in, you’d think the fluorescent lighting was important- however, when the lighting was reconsidered, the mood totally changed. It just felt more…relaxed.
Once the renovations were complete it was immediately obvious that we had made a difference that truly counted. My good friend April, who has been a resident for five years this year, is very houseproud and has been very vocal about her approval of the recreational area.
Now, we’re seeing an increase in preference for the recreational room. We’re even having some piano performances this month, when a musician comes in and plays some of the pieces the residents request. And it is clear, the lighting has made the recreational room a nicer place to sit. It’s been one of the best choices management has made.