How Can You Help Your Aging Adult Manage with Low Vision?
Low vision is a really common part of aging, but that doesn’t make it less frustrating. While there might not be much that your senior can do to correct low vision, she can learn to manage it by changing parts of her environment.
Improve Lighting as Much as Possible
The biggest assistance for low vision comes from having more and brighter lighting. Take a walk around your elderly family member’s home and really pay attention to the lighting in each room. If it’s not bright enough, consider swapping out existing bulbs for brighter ones. You might also want to add some extra lamps or light fixtures in an effort to get more light into each room.
Consider Adding Motion Sensors
While you’re checking out the amount and quality of lighting, consider making some other changes, too. Adding motion sensors to as many lights as possible removes the hassle of turning on a ton of lights. It can also help to save energy, too because when your senior leaves the room, the sensors turn off the lights. You can get motion sensors that are as easy to use as plugging a lamp into the device or you can have an electrician hardwire in some sensors for the entire room.
Use Contrasts Everywhere
One of the biggest keys to managing low vision is using contrasts to your senior’s advantage. Dark against light or bright colors working against each other help her to spot different objects. This can be especially important around stairways, for example. Try using neon-colored or reflective tape on the edge of each step. This helps to ensure that your elderly family member can find the edge of each step and avoid a fall.
Leave Notes in Thick Marker
This contrast idea works in all sorts of ways. When you’re leaving notes or messages for your aging adult, avoid using thinner ballpoint pens or even pencil since those can be hard to read. Try instead using a thick, dark marker on white paper so that it’s as easy to read as possible.
Let other people, such as elderly care providers, know what works best for your senior’s low vision. The more that they know about how to help, the more helpful they can be.
If you or someone you know needs elder care in Spanish Fort, AL, please contact the friendly caregivers at Hughes Home Care. We provide quality and affordable care for your elderly loved ones in our community. Call Us Today 251-517-9901. Serving Mobile & Baldwin County.
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