Quality of vision can diminish with age; this is naturally to be expected. However these changes are not typically very severe, just a new glasses prescription or some improvements in lighting in the home may be all that’s required.
Unfortunately, there are other conditions your loved one may experience which are a little more serious. They include glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. These can have a permanent effect on the quality of vision for the older adult.
Eye care is very important, as people rely on sight as one of the most important senses. It is a link between a person and the world around them. When sight starts to diminish, it can happen slowly or quite suddenly. Usually a slow change is hard to notice until it reaches the point where sight is strongly affected and the senior finally says something about it. They may even think that it’s a normal part of aging so they don’t say anything at all.
There are some things your elderly loved one can do to keep her eyesight as good as possible into his/her older years. Their home care provider can certainly help out with this! The caregiver can make sure that the following are made part of your elderly loved one’s regular routine.
Tips for keeping eyes healthy
- Make sure the elderly loved one has regular eye examinations. It’s possible for the optometrist to find an eye problem before it becomes a big problem that might be permanent. Early diagnosis of eye difficulties can literally save a person’s sight. It is recommended to see an eye care professional once per year at least.
- Monitor blood pressure and participate in regular exercise. Your loved one can avoid cardiovascular stress with a healthy lifestyle. Walking is absolutely great. It needs to be done on a regular basis and at a healthy pace geared to each individual.
- Guarding eyes from the sun is important because UV rays have been linked to cataracts as well as macular degeneration. Your elderly loved one should be wearing sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim. This is especially important for blue eyed, fair skinned people.
- Protecting eyes from injury, whether it is sports, or crafts like woodworking is essential. Small bits of wood can spin out from the saw and lodge in the eye or scratch it and cause an infection. Other hobbies might also have eye injury risks. It is always better to wear protective eyewear.
- Don’t smoke or stop smoking. Cigarette smoke is a big factor in developing cataracts or macular degeneration.
If you or an aging loved one needs caregiver services in the Davis, CA area; remember there is “Senior Home Care Services” for all services needed. Call us at (916) 514-7006 for more information.
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