Visual impairment, unfortunately, is a reality in the live of millions of individuals in the United States. A good number of those people are elderly, and as such, can often have several other health issues or concerns that they are dealing with. Addressing each concern individually can sometimes leave some gaps when it comes to safety. As a caregiver for your mom and dad, you don’t want that to happen. Addressing all of your parent’s needs is important to you. Luckily, there are a few things that you can take care of when it comes to visual impairment that will provide other benefits to the health and safety of your loved one.
Improved Lighting
Sometimes, something as simple as better lighting in a room can make a world of difference. Vision is dependent on light in general, but as a general rule, the older that we get, the worse our night vision gets. Correcting this part of our vision is almost impossible through current methods. Simply making our homes a little brighter is a much simpler solution. A few nightlights plugged in around the house can be a good first step.
Here’s a tip: when selecting nightlights, use ones that turn on automatically in the dark. This way, you won’t need to worry about your loved one remembering to go around the house and turn them on.
Eliminate Hazards
This is another change that is a common sense adjustment. Clearing the floor of tripping hazards can drastically improve safety. This doesn’t apply to just items left on the floor. Things like power cords, rugs, and even steps can create unintentional hazards when they’re on the ground. Making sure that these potential dangers are reduced can decrease the likelihood of a fall. For example, make sure that carpets are not sticking up on their corners. Ensure that any cords are out of the way. Those that are strung across walkways should be secured with tape or something else.
Make Stairs Easier
Stairs are one of the most high risk areas of the house. This means that it deserves some special attention. In some homes, installing a method of eliminating stairs altogether is smart. For most people, this is not realistic. Always make sure that stairs are cleared of all items and that a strong hand rail is secured on both sides of the stairs.
Install Rails
This goes along closely with the previous item. Railings should be secure and useful wherever they are installed. Hallways, bathrooms, bedrooms, and more can become a lot safer when quality rails are properly used.
Gradually Introduce Major Changes
If vision is a problem for an elderly loved one, then moving things around all at once can become problematic. A loss of eyesight, combined with cognitive problems can make this even more exaggerated. If you make a major change within your mom or dad’s home, wait until they have grown fully used to it before you move on to the next project. This will reduce accidents due to unfamiliarity with surroundings.
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