Elder Care in Okemos MI
Many of us often take our ability to see clearly for granted. As you get older, though, vision loss and other vision related problems can increase with regard to risk factors. For seniors, whether they live alone or not, safety can be compromised by the diminishing capacity to see clearly. Below are five ways that vision loss may actually affect an elderly individual and their ability to stay safe at home.
Not seeing objects on the ground.
If a house is not illuminated well enough, it could become difficult for the senior to see objects that were left on the floor. For example, a bag may have been left on the floor in the kitchen when somebody was coming in after shopping. If the senior doesn’t see it because of their vision loss, they may catch it with their foot, thus stumbling to the ground.
This can lead to serious injuries and other emergency situations.
Not reading information correctly.
If the senior doesn’t read well because of vision loss, they might not read the instructions their doctor gave them for prescription medications. This can be a life-threatening situation quickly. If they can’t read clearly and there is important information for them to have, they should rely on somebody else to make sure they are reading things accurately.
Depth perception problems. If you close one eye and try to walk around your house, you will notice that you have difficulty keeping track of the depth of things. That’s because mono vision, or seeing out of one eye, only provides two-dimensional viewing.
If a person had recent eye surgery, is dealing with cataracts or glaucoma in one eye, it can affect their depth perception. This can make it more dangerous to walk around the house.
They may not be able to drive.
While seniors may be required to take a vision test or a safe driver test every year in order to maintain their driver’s license, they might have vision loss several months before they have to go through this once again. They may still be tempted to try themselves because they feel they have no other option.
This can lead to serious safety issues, not just pulling out of the driveway but having to go anywhere themselves.
Having difficulty identifying people.
When a person can’t see clearly, they may not see a person approaching their house or who they are at the door. If they can’t see clearly, they could inadvertently open their home to a complete stranger, think it’s somebody else they should know. In all of these
cases, it’s highly recommended that seniors rely on home care support services to stay safer when they have vision related problems.
If you or an aging loved one are considering elder care in Okemos, MI, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Lansing. Call today: 517-332-9953.