The Night Path Lit: Lighting the Bed-to-Bathroom Route Priced Against Fall Risk

A design and pricing model for low-level, motion-triggered path lighting on a stated 7.0 m bed-to-bathroom route. Trip hazards are treated as detection problems whose required floor illuminance rises with age (governing requirement 3.40 lux at age 75). The proposed scheme (5.0 lux bedroom/landing, 7.5 lux bathroom, five skirting-level 2200 K fittings, whole-route trigger, capped at 10 lux to protect dark adaptation) reduces the modelled share of trips with at least one governing hazard undetected from 100.0 per 100 in the dark to 35.8 per 100, at an installed cost of $248.00 and $0.72 per year running cost, while a single $9.00 bathroom-only plug-in night-light leaves the share at 99.9 per 100. SIMULATED, NOT MEASURED: this paper computes illumination adequacy under stated assumptions, not epidemiology; it has no fall-rate data of its own.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-11-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24109935
Primary Topic
Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
Type
preprint
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
preprint

The Night Path Lit: Lighting the Bed-to-Bathroom Route Priced Against Fall Risk

William Alexander Aldred
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
preprint

The Night Path Lit: Lighting the Bed-to-Bathroom Route Priced Against Fall Risk

William Alexander Aldred
preprint en

Abstract

A design and pricing model for low-level, motion-triggered path lighting on a stated 7.0 m bed-to-bathroom route. Trip hazards are treated as detection problems whose required floor illuminance rises with age (governing requirement 3.40 lux at age 75). The proposed scheme (5.0 lux bedroom/landing, 7.5 lux bathroom, five skirting-level 2200 K fittings, whole-route trigger, capped at 10 lux to protect dark adaptation) reduces the modelled share of trips with at least one governing hazard undetected from 100.0 per 100 in the dark to 35.8 per 100, at an installed cost of $248.00 and $0.72 per year running cost, while a single $9.00 bathroom-only plug-in night-light leaves the share at 99.9 per 100. SIMULATED, NOT MEASURED: this paper computes illumination adequacy under stated assumptions, not epidemiology; it has no fall-rate data of its own.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon