It isn’t always easy to know exactly when your elderly family member’s vision is changing, especially if those changes are subtle ones. Spotting changes in her behavior, especially with the help of home care providers who have experience decoding the behavior of aging adults, is a good place to start. Here are some ideas that can help you to understand what might be happening with your senior’s vision.
She’s Changed How She Walks
Vision changes can leave your senior feeling uncomfortable when she’s walking, even if she doesn’t realize that’s what is happening. If you’re noticing that your elderly family member isn’t walking as much as she used to, there could be a reason. When she does walk, if she seems hesitant or keeps bumping into things, she may be having more difficulty seeing than either of you realize.
She’s Squinting a Lot
Does it seem as if your elderly family member is squinting more? Squinting is a reaction that often happens unconsciously when someone is trying to focus on something they’re looking at. You might also notice that your elderly family member is making other types of “faces” when she’s trying to see something more clearly.
She’s Experiencing More Headaches
Another common symptom of vision trouble is more frequent headaches. This can happen because your elderly family member might be struggling to see and it’s causing strain around her eyes. One way to tell that her headaches are from vision changes can be that resting her eyes helps the headache to go away more quickly.
She Seems Clumsier in General
Does your elderly family member seem clumsier in general? Besides bumping into things, she might have trouble reaching for items that she intends to use. Her depth perception and her eye/hand coordination may seem to be worse than they’ve been in the past, too. These signs can be a big indication that she needs her vision checked.
What Can You Do to Help?
If your senior hasn’t been to the eye doctor in a while, she needs to make an appointment. It’s also a good idea to find out whether changing her environment, particularly by rearranging furniture, helps. Improving lighting may also help. Home care providers can offer a lot of help, too. They can remind your senior to use her eyeglasses or to turn on lights when the lighting is dim. Elder care providers can also help your senior with mobility and ensure that she’s not bumping into anything as she’s walking. Addressing underlying health issues, like high blood pressure or diabetes, can also be a huge help for people with vision issues.
Getting to the bottom of what’s going on with your senior’s vision is crucial when you notice it changing. In some cases, getting new corrective lenses can make all the difference. In other cases, your elderly family member may be losing her vision entirely, and it’s important to know what she’s truly up against. From there you can start to put solutions in place to help her.
If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Aurora, CO, call the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Denver today. 303-756-9322
