Light isn’t just illumination; it’s innovation in dementia care. That belief drives the CERTUS Institute’s partnership with Healthe Lighting and the National Institute for Dementia Education (NIDE) to explore how thoughtfully engineered lighting can calm, guide, and restore individuals living with dementia.
Together, the partners launched an innovative service-improvement project focused on circadian lighting—systems tuned to the sun’s natural rhythms. Installed throughout CERTUS Senior Living communities, these lights don’t merely brighten rooms; they synchronize the body’s internal clock, promote better sleep, and make daily life more manageable for residents with dementia.
This partnership launched a comprehensive study, highlighting how intentionally designed, circadian-aligned environments can support individuals with dementia, offering a pathway to improved quality of life in residential care settings. CERTUS Institute, as part of the partnership, is the first memory care organization to use this lighting technology as part of its advanced patient care.
“This collaboration is about more than light—it’s about using the environment as a tool for care,” said Dr. Joshua J. Freitas, Chief Research Officer at the CERTUS Institute, and co-author Theda Heiserman, Corporate Education Specialist at CERTUS Institute. “We’re seeing real results that show lighting can influence everything from mood to mobility.”
Pilot-Project Highlights
- Improved Sleep Patterns: Circadian-aligned lighting helped residents feel more alert during the day and restful at night.
- Enhanced Wayfinding: Strategically placed fixtures provided visual cues, helping residents navigate their surroundings with greater confidence and independence.
- Elevated Moods: Residents exhibited fewer signs of sundowning and distress, appearing calmer and more connected.
Healthe provided the cutting-edge technology behind these results, and the CERTUS Institute is now working to integrate this lighting model into future CERTUS communities—while encouraging other providers to adopt intentionally designed environments.
“When you walk into a space that feels good, your body knows it,” added Freitas and Heiserman. “We want other communities to see how something as fundamental as lighting can become a therapeutic element of dementia care.”
