5 Tips on How to Make Life Easier for Seniors with Low Vision
Having low vision can make everyday activities much more difficult. This is especially true for seniors who have low vision and might also be physically inept due to age. Fortunately, there’s no need to fret.
There are tons of things we can do to help them adapt to their disabilities and even make them independent most of the time. If you have an aging loved one who is a senior with low vision, we can help you with that. In today’s article, we will discuss tips for making life easier for seniors with low vision. Let’s start.
Understand Their Condition
One of the things that can help you help them with their condition is to understand the extent of their low vision. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, seniors who are 65 years old and beyond need to get their vision checked every year or two. In this routine eye exam, the ophthalmologist will evaluate the condition of their eyesight and assess the overall health of both of their eyes.
Screening for worsening eye conditions and maintaining their remaining vision with a prescription is essential if you want your loved ones to continue seeing for as long as possible.
Understanding their condition also allows you to find an insurance option fit for their needs. From buying prescriptions to paying off hospital bills, insurance can help you alleviate the costs. And if you have a specific insurance policy in mind, say, Medicare, be sure to check different parts of Medicare and see if it covers expenses involved in eye care or does Medicare cover assisted living.
For most people, especially those in older age, vision loss is a gradual process. As unfortunate as it is, some older people don’t notice that their eyesight has worsened until it’s too late.
Good Lighting is Key
Since their eyesight is not as good as it had been, one of the things you can do is to keep their surroundings adequately lit. However, do note that you should be mindful of glare as it is discomforting for them and can also worsen their conditions. Of course, you can put special light bulbs everywhere. Just make sure that there is direct light during their activities.
In these situations, you can use a gooseneck lamp or probably a clip-on to move quickly from one place to another. Also, it would help if you remembered that you avoid significant discrepancies in lighting. For example, putting on a lamp in a dark room. It would help if you always made the direct lighting as close as possible to the surrounding area’s light level.
Minimize Fall Risks as Much as Possible
For someone with low vision, there will always be that inherent fear of the risks of falling, especially in dim rooms where they are essentially blind. That said, you can employ the use of nightlights. You can put them in bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms, especially if they have a habit of getting up in the middle of their sleep to use the bathroom.
Also, ensure that the pathways are always without clutter, like toys, wires, throw rugs, etc. You should ensure that the furniture is arranged to keep their pathways open. Always see the pathways as vast and clear so they can quickly navigate the house.
Go for Contrasting Colors
The contrast of colors can do wonders for people with low vision. Blending colors with almost the same hue can be challenging for people with low vision since they need help to differentiate items from each other. That said, you can go for juxtaposition. For example, if they are helping in the kitchen, you should have separate cutting boards that are different in color, like a white one for darker foods like apples and a dark one for lighter foods like mangoes, peaches, etc.
However, you should not only use this feature in the kitchen. You can also use this in other places, especially the bathroom, since most bathrooms are monotone. You could also do this for simple items like towels, kitchen utensils, countertops, flooring, etc. You may not even need to repaint anything since you can use duct tape to help them differentiate things.
Consider Magnification
Magnification is also a beneficial concept that you can employ to make things easier for seniors with low vision. Have you ever noticed that older people’s phones usually have brighter screens and significantly bigger fonts? It does not just preference as it’s also to help them see.
However, there are also other things that you can do this with. For example, you can do a clock with bigger fonts. Or if you want a handy tool, you can buy them magnifiers. It might look silly, but magnifiers are a godsend for seniors with low vision scores.
Final Words
The world is much more complicated and riskier for seniors with low vision. Thankfully, with our guidance and some simple adjustments we can make, they don’t have to worry that much. Also, remember to visit an ophthalmologist for regular check-ups regularly. We only have very little time left with them, so we should make their lives as comfortable as can be.
