This post may contain affiliate links, and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) when you make a purchase by clicking on my links.
This month, I’m completing my 5-part series on how our senses change as we age. Today we’ll look at our sense of sight. (No pun intended!) We’ll also consider how we can support our residents who experience declining vision.
While some people avoid significant changes in their other four senses, we all can pretty much guarantee that our vision will decline to some degree as we age. Many of the changes are a natural part of growing older. Others result from diseases that become more common with aging.
If you missed any of the previous posts, you’ll find them here:
How does our vision change as we age?
For a summary of the most common eye diseases associated with aging, please refer back to this article. Besides these four diseases, many vision changes occur naturally because of the aging process. These include:
- Increased difficulty focusing on close objects
- Production of fewer tears resulting in dry eyes
- Increase in annoying floaters
- A decrease in color contrast
- Less responsiveness to changes in lighting
- A gradual decline in peripheral vision
Why is this a concern?
A resident whose vision is declining can experience a variety of challenges. These include:
- Declines in self-care abilities
- Feelings of depression or frustration
- Exacerbation of confusion
- Decreased mobility because of fear of falling
- Withdrawal from social relationships
- Drops in the enjoyment of usual activities
- Increased risk of injuries
How can we help?
The approaches we use may vary depending on the type and severity of each resident’s visual impairment. However, these are a few general principles for working with residents experiencing a decline in vision.
- Be sure the environment is clear of trip hazards such as cords or rugs.
- Keep the living area as consistent as possible. Let the resident know if you need to move something, such as furniture or personal belongings.
- Describe the location of items according to the face of a clock. For example, you might say that corn is located at 3 o’clock on a resident’s plate at mealtime.
- Keep the area well-lit, but avoid glare.
- Use large print, easy-to-read signage.
- Offer the resident your arm when walking from one location to another.
- Use contrasting colors. For example, a resident might have trouble seeing a piece of white cake on a white plate. You could try a red dish instead.
- Make use of the wide variety of adaptive devices available with large buttons and numbers. These include clocks, phones, remote controls, and radios.
- Be sure eyeglasses are clean, fit properly, and have an up-to-date prescription.
- Consider voice-activated devices that respond to voice commands such as an Echo Dot.
How can we adapt activities for low vision?
- With a bit of creativity, nearly any activity is adaptable for residents with low vision. As an example, check out this article on how to develop a garden for people with impaired vision.
- Offer large print or talking books. For more information, contact your local library or the National Library Service.
- Provide activities rich in opportunities to experience the other senses. Examples include listening to music, petting a puppy, smelling flowers, or tasting a variety of flavored teas.
- Recruit volunteers or other residents to read to residents with impaired vision.
- Offer adaptive tactile games such as dominos, matching games, or tic-tac-toe (example).
- Help residents access radio programs such as sports, religious programming, or talk shows.
- Provide magnification devices (example).
- Offer exercise classes with clear verbal instructions.
- Provide opportunities for residents to help with household tasks if they wish. Ideas might include folding, sorting, drying, or stirring.
What did I miss? What else can we do to enhance the lives of our residents who experience low vision? Please add your tips in the comment section.
Leave a Reply