A tailored Internet of Things lighting solution to support circadian rhythms and wellbeing for people living with dementia

Light is a requirement for setting and maintaining the body’s circadian rhythm, however our knowledge of the spectral content, timing and duration of lighting exposure for the indoors is not well defined. For people living with dementia, this knowledge gap is important to address since they experience more heavily disrupted circadian rhythms, which can heighten symptoms of sundowning, agitation, low mood and poor sleep quality. This paper focuses on the required design aspects for a dynamic lighting and sensing device tailored towards supporting the wellbeing of people living with dementia. The authors discuss the current understanding of lighting for health, identify the gaps to be addressed and propose the design and research protocol for an indoor lighting and sensing solution. The device is currently deployed within a care home and analysis of results is forthcoming.