Indoor light sensors to prevent falls?

It's a worry isn't it. My mum's sight was badly affected by dry macular degeneration. She had a number of falls during the night, and the only solution we came up with was to leave the light in the hall on all the time. Sorry not to be more help, hopefully someone will come along with better suggestions.

My mum kept a torch by the bed. A big chunky thing which was easy to find and could be stood up on end. (She kept the hall light on as well)

Indoor light sensors have been around for a long time. I think the problem in this context might be that they are over sensitive - if she lifts her arm up in the night the light might come on. They also turn themselves off on a time controlled basis. One in the hall might work?

Have you considered a childs night light. DGS has one that plugs directly into the wall socket and gives a low glow. Just enough for night trips to the loo.

Ninathenana, did you mean night ''trips'' to the loo!! We have a 6volt car interior light on the landing that is on all night, also a bar which we put down at the top of the stairs which we have to pass when we go to the loo.

I would suggest the sleepiness and poor memory itself might be more of the problem. Have you though about a note on her door to explain where the commode is.

Google the Alzheimers society. There are usually local groups who may have a a range of "assistive technology" products to help with this sort of problem, and be able to advise.

We spent years with the light on the stairs on all night owing to the black cat that insisted on sleeping on the stairs. It seemed worth the price of the electricity to avoid the possible broken legs,arms or necks!

Deedaa , we had a cat that did the same-hot water pipe under the stair!

Thanks for all your replies. Nelliemoser - she is on antidepressants which make her more sleepy than usual but I think it is fairly common as you get older to wake during the night to go to the loo and to be disoriented in the darkness along with the fact that only a few months ago she was living upstairs and would have left her bedroom to go to the loo. I think we need a light in the bedroom to wake her if she gets out of bed but we need one which isn't so sensitive that it will be set off by movement in bed.

Our cat didn't even have that excuse Hunt it was just sheer cussedness. The heat hoggers spend the night crushed up against the airingcupboard door

I don't think you even need to be elderly to be disorientated in the night. I often wake up and have no sense of direction or where I am. I can even remember waking up and wondering who this man beside me in bed was and lying very still in case he wasn't meant to be there! I also have a fear when I get up to go to the loo that maybe I am still asleep and still in bed !! and pinch myself to check that I am awake. If that's what I am like at 65 I shudder to thin what I will be like by my 80's.
I like the sound of a sort of cross between a movement sensor and a nightlight. If it hasn't been invented yet, you could be on to a very good thing.

A few years ago we bought two Hulsta beds and one of the options was a motion censor on the plinth. When someone got out of bed and placed feet on floor a light shone along the floor. Germans think of everything

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You don't need to be in your 80's gracesmum my 6 year old grandson sleepwalks from time to time and has been known to pee in the laundry basket. My daughter has now learnt to point him hastily in the right direction

Thanks harrigran. Germans do indeed think of everything.