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Nearly the end of January and the days are finally getting noticeably longer – we’ve moved our swim time in West Bay back to 7am now with some spectacular sunrises over Portland last week. We’ll soon be squeaking in the freezing surf at 6:45am – makes it a bit easier to be warmed up and at work in reasonable time.
This week is all about healthcare and some of the remarkable results from one healthcare provider here in the UK following the installation of Nobi’s innovative AI-based tools in resident bedrooms: a combination of motion-responsive lighting and staff alerts have improved response times (an average of just 3.5 seconds to reach the resident) and reducing falls by 84%. There’s a wonderful piece on ITV about the project – watch here.
Silent Nights: Lighting and AI Transform Care at Hartland House
At Hartland House, nestled in England’s scenic Lake District, Leanne Scrogham has led a revolution in elder care. As the registered nurse manager of the 32-resident care home, Leanne’s dedication to safety and well-being has always driven her work. But when the offer to join a pilot program for AI-powered smart lamps crossed her desk, even she was sceptical.
“I didn’t think it would work,” Leanne admits. “But it was free to try, so we gave it a go.”
That decision would change everything.
A Light in the Dark
Hartland House became the first care home in the UK to adopt Nobi Smart Lighting technology, installing eight of these AI-driven lights in rooms of residents at high risk of falling. Designed to prevent and detect falls, the lamps automatically light the way when a resident sits up at night, helping them navigate safely.
The results spoke volumes. Falls decreased by 84%, night-time confusion was reduced, and response times dropped to an astounding 3.5 seconds on average, effectively preventing falls before they happen. Families are reassured, staff have more time for meaningful care, and residents feel safer.
One resident, who had been waking up to five times per night and was at high risk of falling, saw dramatic improvements. Before the installation, we only knew she was awake when she was already dressed and downstairs, ready to start her day. We then had to take her back to bed. But with this system, we knew as soon as she was sitting up, so we could reassure her it was still night time and help her to get back to sleep. “We broke the cycle of poor sleep and confusion,” Leanne recalls. “She’s become so much happier and healthier overall.”
More Than Just Lights
Leanne highlights the adaptability of the system. The light levels are tailored to each room and resident using the online app in real time to create a personalised safety net.
Critically, the technology reduced the need for disruptive night checks, allowing staff to monitor remotely without disturbing residents’ rest.
“We’ve learned so much from Nobi’s team,” Leanne says. “They listen to feedback and release updates that make the system even better. It’s like a true partnership.”
The impact extended beyond the pilot. When families began asking why their loved ones didn’t have the installation, Leanne and her teammate the bold decision to install them across the entire home.
Lessons from Leanne
The Bigger Picture
For Leanne, this technology is about more than just safety—it represents dignity, autonomy, and progress. She’s now an advocate for the potential of technology to transform care.
“It’s unbelievable what a difference lighting and AI can make,” she says. “If other care homes don’t adopt these, they’re missing out on something life-changing.”
Leanne’s story illuminates a brighter path forward for older adults living in residential healthcare, care teams and families alike—one where innovation and compassion work hand in hand.
The right light every day keeps the doctor away?
Buildings are important, but 13% of healthcare’s carbon footprint is from patient and staff transport.
So staying healthy – and away from the hospital – is saving the planet too!
Getting outside is the obvious solution if you can.
But for people who can’t get outside, there are simple things you can do to reduce your risk of depression, falls and get a good nights’ sleep – The influence of lighting and thermal environments on sleep and cognitive function in older adults, Residential Light and Risk for Depression and Falls: Results from the LARES Study of Eight European Cities.
First do no harm – healthcare for people and planet
I’ve been hammering along the A35 to Dorchester Hospital recently with friends and family. I know I’m not alone. My mum is one of a growing fleet of generous volunteers who give lifts to elderly folk who would otherwise struggle with buses or costly taxis for routine scans and treatments.
As I reversed into a spot in the crowded car park, with every window in the sprawling campus blazing, then scanned the brutally bright yet silent corridors for signs of my friend, it struck me that many chronic health conditions, and the added burden generated by extreme weather events are linked to climate change. I’d read about the NHS drive to net zero by 2035 and wondered whether lighting was part of that plan?
According to this fascinating – and sobering – report from Health Care Without Harm in collaboration with Arup – Health Care’s Climate Footprint, healthcare’s climate footprint is equivalent to 4.4% of global net emissions. To set that in context, the aviation industry weighs in at between 2 and 3%. If the healthcare sector was a country, it would be the fifth-largest in the world.
The operational costs of buildings account for 13% of that total, and lighting is around 8% of that – Energy Saving Advice for Healthcare Services & Practitioners.
Investing in light – starting with windows- could be the best way to take care of the planet – and reduce the costs associated with delivering that care: length of stay, medication and staff recruitment too.
Windows can reduce recovery times – Increased daylight availability reduces length of hospitalisation in depressive patients, reduce the perception of pain – Daylight in hospitals: health and wellbeing impacts on patients and boost the quality and quantity of sleep, a criical factor in recovery – The Impact of Optimized Daylight and Views on the Sleep Duration and Cognitive Performance of Office Workers.
Access to an outside view reduces stress and the risk of burnout in nurses – Operating room nurses’ experiences of limited access to daylight in the workplace – a qualitative interview study.
Daylight harvesting and smart controls can cut energy use by up to 23% – Dynamic analysis of office lighting smart controls management based on user requirements.
Enhanced zoning and controls by the bedside not only reduce energy by up to 43% use but also improve nurse engagement and reduce patient complaints – Energy-saving strategies for luminaire-level lighting controls, Improving lighting energy efficiency through user response.
Choice of luminaires and surface reflectance can cut energy use by 45% while improving user comfort – Effects of surface reflectance and lighting design strategies on energy consumption and visual comfort.
A shot in the dark
Have you ever wondered how you stay upright even when you can’t see your feet?
Balance is an amazing conversation between your ears and your eyes – plus an avalanche of signals from your bones and muscles, skin and blood.
Gravity keeps tiny crystals in your inner ear floating at the bottom of the looped canal.
Your brain compares those signals about which way is up with the information coming from your eyes about what is where to keep you steady.
When those signals from the ear go wrong – if those crystals dislodge and start to roam around for example – your brain gets confused and you feel dizzy and sick.
You fall over – or you fall off your bike!
So if you feel unsteady- or find yourself running in the dark (I’m trying my first ‘couch to 5k’), lock your gaze on a fixed position in space and plant your feet firmly on the ground.
I can’t promise you’ll win the race, but at least you will arrive in one piece.