Emergency lighting for elderly couple

ariarnia

chris1973 said:

Just get a standard emergency light unit, as used in hundreds of thousands of pubs, hotels, public buildings etc.

https://cpc.farnell.com/red-arrow/lfacled-2/led-bulkhead-maintained-3-5w-6500k/dp/LA07719

Stick a 3 core flex and 13A plug (fused to 3A) on it, wired in non maintained mode, and plug into a standard 13A socket. The internal batteries will charge, and in event of the power failing it will automatically light up. When the power returns, the light will go off and then automatically charge.

These are very bright as they are used to light doorways, fire escapes, corridors during a power cut, and will generally stay lit for 3+ hours.

you lost me at stick

Brie

If they want something ornamental I have a couple of "candles" that work very nicely.  They look like the big pillar candles, have batteries in them and are turned on by giving them a shake.  Shake again to turn off.  I've also got a votive candle, again battery operated that comes on at dusk automatically and turns off about midnight.

cymruchris

Put yourself in their shoes. It's half past eight on a Friday night, and one is in front of the telly watching 'Strictly come a celebrity get me out of dancing here' and one is in the kitchen making a cup of tea. The power goes off. Blackness is everywhere. What now?

The suggestions of the various rechargeable items are good - but:

1: Will it be charged when they need it?
2: Will they be able to stumble to it wherever they are in the house in pitch black?

For that reason I'd fit one of the regular emergency lights as has been discussed in their most used room. That way one of them can find the torches to go and rescue the other wherever they may be.

Something like this with a plug fitted, then plugged into a socket and switched on, can sit there for months on end - and at the flick of a power cut, come on and give at least 3 hours of a decent light.

It doesn't have to be kept on display on top of the sideboard next to the Royal Doulton chinaware - it can be behind the sofa or next to a cupboard on a floor, under a table or something, as once the power trips it'll jump straight to life, and will be easy to find in the darkness. 

Green_hopeful

I think I will get some bulk head emergency ones and fit cables and plugs. Hopefully it isn’t beyond the wit of girl to wire them up, then they can have one in the hall, one in the sitting room and one in the bedroom. They are pretty unsteady on their feet. I can’t imagine they could carry a torch or lantern without falling over or being able to find it in the dark. I will get three for each household with a relative over 80.  otherwise I will get to use the electricity in the local A&E department and we already spend enough time there. Shame the lightbulbs I saw first don’t seem reliable for the UK.  There is a business opportunity for someone. 

QrizB

Green_hopeful said:

Shame the lightbulbs I saw first don’t seem reliable for the UK.

I have an idea of how those bulbs will work in a blackout, but not in eg. an unplugged table lamp. However without buying some and experimenting I'm not able to prove it one way or another, and I'm not that curious.

Spoonie_Turtle

Green_hopeful said:

I think I will get some bulk head emergency ones and fit cables and plugs. Hopefully it isn’t beyond the wit of girl to wire them up, then they can have one in the hall, one in the sitting room and one in the bedroom. They are pretty unsteady on their feet. I can’t imagine they could carry a torch or lantern without falling over or being able to find it in the dark. I will get three for each household with a relative over 80.  otherwise I will get to use the electricity in the local A&E department and we already spend enough time there. Shame the lightbulbs I saw first don’t seem reliable for the UK.  There is a business opportunity for someone. 

Sounds like they need a mobility aid of some description (exact requirements will vary by individual).  If they're too proud to consider one* then perhaps a rolling trolley, useful for food and drink if they can't carry it between rooms.

*although waiting hours for an ambulance then more hours on a trolley in A&E is not exactly dignified either.

Emergency lighting does sound a good idea for them though.  If they had a trolley to push, they could put a lantern on it if a power cut lasts longer than 3 hours (or however long the emergency lighting lasts).

Longwalker

When dad was alive and unsteady on his feet, I stuck motion sensor lights everywhere. Just cheap ones, battery operated , out of B&Q, they got him up out of chair, to bathroom and to bed safely .

We have lived with winter power cuts for years so we have a huge selection of torches, head torches, wind up lanterns etc.

Head torches stored bedside and chair side would be a great help

Green_hopeful

Hi yes they have Zimmer frames and a stick. Actually we have reduced the falls significantly for my father in law with incontinence pants. He used to fall when he was rushing to get to the loo. Wearing pants has saved him rushing and reduced the number and severity of the falls massively. Saved quite a bit of cleaning up too.

My mother in law is still mobile but has dementia so isn’t always able to comprehend what she needs to do. I don’t think she could reliably turn on a torch. 

They have the lights on all the time. We have swapped out most of them for LEDs but they are not worried about the cost of the energy.

jackieblack

elsien said:

Second vote for camping lights. Mine aren’t rechargeable, they are battery operated but basically you just grab hold of them and pull the top up and you have light. I keep one by my bed. Couldn’t  be easier.

Same here - I have cats who would knock candles over so bought a couple of these a few years ago - simple, safe and inexpensive 

mags21

We have the escape route version of the Merlin Emergency downlight (it also comes in an open area version). It is very discreet, not at all industrial looking and it gives off a brilliant light when the need arises.
https://anselluk.com/product/AMELED-3NM