My Step Mom (91) has an apartment at an Assisted Living. The light is very poor in her apartment and she never turns on the overhead lights. She may use a small lamp next to her recliner. Any time I have visited her, I can barely see her from across the room.
Is there any thing wrong with her eyes? She has regular eye exams that don't reveal anything. Has anyone else run in to this?
Good luck!
My 90 yo mom lives with us. In her old independent apartment, she had big windows and only shears because she likes natural light. The windows in her room here are not as big or as many, but I open the blinds every morning. She always likes the lights off unless she's working at her desk or reading. She likes the lights off whether it's day or night. After the sun goes down, she has one small lamp that points down and away that she wants on. That's it.
Honestly, my mom is so high maintenance and demanding that I never gave her lights off preference any thought. It's how she likes it, and it's one of the very few things I "can do" that is "right" or pleasing - I'm sure you know what I mean.
When I go in there with her and need light to do whatever, now I just flip the overhead room lights on and do what I need to do. She hardly complains, but before I can reach the door going out, she'll remind me to turn off the light. LOL.
But my mom has always been like this, I suppose. If the preference was new or a drastic change in behavior, I might be concerned.
As long as she's safe, following her safety awareness, and cared for, I'm not sweating the small stuff anymore with my demanding (narcissistic) Mom.
No matter how many times I explained that she didn’t have a water bill in her apartment, she was convinced that she should not flush, in order to save money.
Maybe something like either one of these?
These haven’t changed since moving into MC, despite anti-anxiety medications.
Colleen
I like my rooms the same way.
If it's a new behavior it could be because she can't operate the switches for the lamps anymore. Old fingers are less mobile and lose feeling at the ends, so those little things that have to be twisted to turn the light on are impossible!
Or, when the natural light fades at the end of the day it may just be too difficult to get up and flip the switch on the wall. Does she have trouble standing after being seated a while?
If she's in the light of her lamp when the sun goes down she may not realize the rest of the room got very dark.
It could also be that she just doesn't think of turning the lights on anymore and needs to be reminded.
You may want to try putting timers on a couple lamps so she doesn't have to do anything to have light.
They also have remote controls for outlets. Plug the device into an outlet and plug a lamp into the device. A remote control at her chair let's her simply push a button to turn the light on. These are inexpensive and easy. The remote has a keychain ring attached which we pinned to Dad's recliner arm after he dropped it several times.
Your mentioned she's been to the eye doctor and no issues were found. That's good! Did they check to see if bright lights bother her eyes? Light sensitivity can be the culprit. If that's the case indirect lighting can help, like a floor lamp that shines upward or a table lamp placed so Mom has no view of the bare bulb from where she sits
A desk lamp can be adjusted to shine to the wall so the room is illuminated.
Trying to understand why she sits in the dark can be hard. She may not want to admit to any of the reasons I've mentioned. Or she really may not know! But a dimly lit apartment is a dangerous place for the elderly. She could become dis-oriented in the dark if she walks toward the bathroom, or she may not be able to see trip hazards.
Best of luck to you!
Always thinking about the electric bill!
I think this can be a reflection of childhood memories when funds were short, conveniences were scarce, and children grew up with conservation in mind. This can also apply to things like saving string, reusing cardboard and other commodities.
Using more light meant using more electricity, and if they weren't getting enough financial support, those luxuries were compromised.
I remember my mother telling me that during the Depression, she had to study by lamplight. I don't know if it was that they didn't have electricity, or it was too expensive.
Dad said they heated with a wood stove, there was no central heating, and they heated up bricks on the wood stove to put at the end of the bed to keep their feet warm. I'm not sure how they did this w/o touching the bricks, but it was clearly an emotional experience for him so I didn't ask.
She may have eyes that have aged, but most likely she could be depressed or just wants a calm atmosphere.
This is very typical of the elderly.
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