Microbial Technology for Biomedical and Environmental Applications Volume-1 pp 37-50
Editors: M. Prakash and N. Karmegam (2026)
ISBN: 978-93-94174-14-6
Chapter 4
A Study on Room Orientation and Functional Difficulties in ADL and IADL Activities among Older Adults under Existing Lighting Conditions in Apartments
Varnam Radhika1* and Ratna Kumari2,
1Research Scholar, Department of Resource Management and Consumer Sciences. Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, College of Community Science, Hyderabad, India.
2Professor and Associate Dean, Department of Resource Management and Consumer Sciences, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, College of Community Science, Hyderabad, India.
Abstract
This study examined the difficulties faced by older adults in performing Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) under existing indoor lighting conditions, with reference to room orientation. An exploratory research design was adopted, and data were collected from 50 elderly respondents using a structured interview-cum-observation schedule selected through purposive random sampling. The findings showed that most respondents did not experience difficulty in performing ADL activities in their apartments, while a smaller proportion reported difficulties in IADL tasks, indicating greater sensitivity of complex activities to lighting adequacy. In terms of room orientation, ADL activities were mainly performed in south-west oriented rooms, whereas IADL activities were more widely distributed across east, north, north-east, and west orientations, with fewer occurrences in south-east, south, north-west, and south-west orientations. Overall, the study highlights that ADL activities less affected by existing lighting conditions, whereas IADL activities show greater variation based on environmental factors and room orientation, emphasizing the need for appropriate lighting design in apartment settings to support independent living among older adults.
Keywords
Indoor lighting levels, orientation of rooms and difficulties faced.
Cite this Chapter: Varnam Radhika and Ratna Kumari, 2026. A Study on Room Orientation and Functional Difficulties in ADL and IADL Activities among Older Adults under Existing Lighting Conditions in Apartments. In: M. Prakash and N. Karmegam (Eds.), Microbial Technology for Biomedical and Environmental Applications. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 37-50. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-14-6_4
