Solar Driveway Lighting Keeps Seniors Safe

There are a great many reasons for installing solar driveway lighting on your property.  For some, it’s the knowledge that these lights are not connected to the power grid and provide a free source of light for many years to come.  For others, it’s because it decreases our reliance on the burning of fossil fuels for energy consumption, which in turn decreases the very real threat of global warming.  Still others enjoy having them as part of a bigger security plan for their home.  It’s a well-known fact that homes with exterior lighting are not as often the target of burglars and thieves.  For many homeowners, though, the biggest benefit derived from using driveway and walkway lights is the added level of safety for loved ones who are senior citizens.

Solar driveway lighting as a safety tool may be a concept that goes right over the heads of some people, but for those of you who have parents or grandparents who are advanced in age I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.  I’m sure that I’m not alone in the fact that I’ve witnessed a horrendous fall by an elderly person in my family, and it’s one of those experiences that really shocks you and makes you feel terrible, especially if it’s something that could have been prevented.  Older folks simply do not have the strength and dexterity that the rest of us do, and what may seem like an easy walk from the driveway to us might actually seem like Mt. Everest to a senior citizen.  If a driveway is sloped, if its edges fall off into the yard, or if it ends with a series of steps, then you can be sure that it is a tough climb for pretty much anyone over 80 or 85 years of age.

Anything you can do to make walking to the front door an easier trip for your loved ones is surely appreciated, but perhaps the most effective step you can take is to purchase and install as many solar driveway lights as you can afford.  You could install the ones that come attached to long spikes along the edges of the driveway so that visitors don’t accidentally drive off the edge.  You could also buy the flat, stainless steel solar lights that are now available and stick them right onto the concrete edges of the driveway and sidewalk, which should provide enough illumination at night to prevent an older person from falling off the side.  Finally, if you have enough foresight and the funds to make it happen, consider having solar block lights embedded into any outdoor stairs during construction.  That way they make the stairwell easier to see and navigate without being something that people might trip over.

There are so many varieties of solar outdoor lights these days that you could really go nuts with them and place them all over the place.  If done with skill they will probably also make your home’s exterior look better in the process, and there’s nothing wrong with a little curb appeal boost now and then.  The bottom line is that these can really give you that added peace of mind of knowing that you’ve done all you can to make your exterior walking areas as safe and easy as possible for the ones you care most about.