At Ålholmhjemmet, the circadian lighting has made the nights indoors just as dark and calm as they are outdoors – and that has made the lighting indispensable for the nursing home's night-shift staff.
As a registered "Eden Alternative" nursing home, Ålholmhjemmet in Hillerød is a place that truly puts the residents first. That's why circadian lighting was the obvious choice when the nursing home needed a new lighting solution a few years ago – and the impact was immediate.
— Just a few days after we started using it, the night-shift staff were incredibly enthusiastic about the circadian lighting. They quickly noticed the effects of the dimmed night light, especially the difference it made for our residents who all suffer from dementia, says Kirsten Gosvig, the Nursing Home Manager at Ålholmhjemmet.
At Ålholmhjemmet, a small nursing home for elders with dementia, the lighting is installed in all common and service areas, positively impacting the residents and staff alike. However, one particular group might be benefiting the most.
— There is no doubt that our night-shift staff benefits the most from the circadian lighting. During the night, the light is dimmed to what we call 'moonlight', and they experience a particularly significant effect. In addition to creating a peaceful atmosphere for the residents at night, which eases the night-shift staff's work, the night lighting also benefits them on a more personal level, she explains, adding:
— It is actually extremely rare to be able to implement something that specifically benefits our night-shift staff. Even though they also attend training courses, they do not have the same opportunity to apply the tools they learn as our day-shift staff do. After all, our night-shift staff work at night, where the residents should ideally be asleep. That is why it is so special that we can finally do something unique for them through circadian lighting.
Moonlight in the hallways is a game-changer
During the night, the automated circadian lighting is at its dimmest stage, mimicking the natural light outside. This creates a sense of tranquility for the evening and night-shift staff, who work during hours when they should be resting and sleeping.
— The night-shift staff at Ålholmhjemmet experiences a sense of calm when they arrive at work at 11 p.m., thanks to the circadian lighting that gradually dims between 9-10 p.m. The evening-shift staff also feel a newfound tranquility when they leave after a long day of work, but it is the night-shift workers who benefit the most from this lighting solution. The soothing amber light is beneficial for their bodies, allowing them to feel less rushed during their shift since the residents are asleep. This creates an atmosphere of peace and allows them more time to focus on their tasks, says Kirsten Gosvig.
Although Ålholmhjemmet has implemented other customized lighting settings for various situations, Kirsten Gosvig confirms that circadian lighting remains the primary setting for the nursing home.
— It is crucial that the lighting constantly follows the natural rhythm of the day, as it is the concept we have invested in and should benefit from. In the event of an emergency, such as a resident falling in the hallway, the staff should, of course, be allowed to turn on the emergency lighting. However, the interesting thing is that they have never used the other lighting settings - not even the emergency setting. They prefer to keep it on the circadian lighting setting, partly because there are rarely emergencies at night when the residents are sleeping, and partly because they have grown fond of having lighting that aligns with the time of day.
One particular incident has solidified the indispensable significance of circadian lighting for the night-shift staff at Ålholmhjemmet.
— Four years after the circadian lighting was installed, there was an incident where lightning struck the building. Somehow, the lightning strike caused some of the lights to go out, and the remaining ones no longer functioned as they should. Instead of the dim amber color, the lights were on at full brightness. The lightning strike also caused a malfunction in the control system, preventing the staff from turning the light off. So, it blared throughout the night. When I arrived the next day, I received several emails from the night-shift workers, pointing out that bright light was not suitable for their work environment or their health. That's when I thought to myself, "Okay, it works." Because we used to have bright light at night before we got the circadian lighting. It just showed that our staff had become much more aware of light and its effect on humans. Especially after experiencing it firsthand, explains Kirsten Gosvig.
A clear sense of time creates a peaceful atmosphere
However, it's not just the staff who have benefited from the circadian lighting. If a resident wakes up at night and opens the door to the hallway, they are greeted by the soft amber light, which has a positive impact on their sense of time.
— Now the residents themselves can actually recognize that it is nighttime. When we had the old lights, they were hit with a 'wow' effect when they opened the door and then they got up. Their bodies woke up from the bright light, and they would go down to the kitchen to have breakfast – even if it was 3 o'clock in the morning. It was really difficult to explain to them that it was still nighttime because there was so much light. In a way, it's logical because when you suffer from dementia, you live a lot based on basic logic, and light is synonymous with day, explains Kirsten Gosvig and continues:
— In general, it is the residents who were often restless at night or had a tendency to wander around who have benefited from the light provided by the circadian lighting at night. Nowadays, it is extremely rare for us to have any residents who wander, and when we do, they are often still in a sort of drowsy state because they are not exposed to bright light when they go out. So, the night-shift staff can kindly guide them back to bed, where they quickly fall asleep.
With the circadian lighting, the nights at Ålholmhjemmet have become dark and calm, just like they are in nature, and both residents and staff are benefiting from it. It's special to have a technology that embraces everyone in such a way, explains Kirsten Gosvig.
— Just think about it, it's truly special that you can invest in something that not only benefits the residents but also the staff working on all three shifts, she concludes.