Three Tips for Helping a Senior with Vision Issues Get Around

If your elderly family member is losing her vision, she might fear that her life as she knows it is over. There may be a lot of things she can’t do anymore, like driving, but she’s far from sidelined. This is especially true if she’s willing to embrace some techniques that are new to her.

Resist the Urge to Make Big Changes

Elder Care Boyertown, PA: Senior’s and Vision Issues

When you make big changes, like rearranging the furniture, that can throw off your senior’s ability to avoid obstacles. Depending on how bad her vision is getting, you may need to avoid making any changes at all. If changes are necessary, like when you want to create more space for her to move in safely, walk around the room with her and help her to acclimate herself to where everything is now. If possible, you do need to remove any clutter that doesn’t need to be hanging around. Clutter can end up being a tripping hazard.

Find Assistive Devices that Help

Assistive devices, like a cane or a walker, can be a huge help for your senior. Both types of devices can help her to “find” an obstacle before she runs into it, but they’re also stabilizing devices. There are lots of other types of assistive tools, too. One of the tools you might not think about is hiring elder care providers. Working with elder care providers can help to ensure that your senior maintains her ability to do what she can while also having help available if she seems to need it.

Occupational and Physical Therapy Can Teach Her What She Needs to Know

Something that your senior’s doctor might recommend could be either occupational or physical therapy, or a combination of both. Occupational therapy is a type of therapy that helps your senior to understand what’s going on with her body and how to adapt to those changes. She may learn better ways to use her cane and how to use other assistive tools that can compensate for her diminishing vision. Physical therapy might be a good idea if your senior also experiences mobility issues.

Your senior may be able to continue to do a lot of what she loves, even with some vision loss. Helping her to find ways around her problem can do so much to help her to feel empowered. That alone can be instrumental in keeping your senior’s spirits up and helping her to avoid giving up.

If you or a loved-one are considering hiring an Elder Care in Boyertown, PA talk to Unlimited Staffing Solutions. Specializing in Home and Community Based Support Waiver Services Since 2001. Please Call Us for Your Home Care Needs (215) 447-7133