{"id":4526,"date":"2022-02-14T08:00:58","date_gmt":"2022-02-14T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/125\/?p=4526"},"modified":"2023-10-25T10:47:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T14:47:19","slug":"5-tips-for-senior-eye-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/bostonnw\/massachusetts\/blog\/5-tips-for-senior-eye-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Senior Eye Health &#8211; Focus On These 5 Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>As the average person grows older, changes to their vision are natural. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aafp.org\/afp\/2016\/0801\/passistinghands.com\/219\/what-are-the-activities-of-daily-living-2388730\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">activities of daily living<\/a> (ADLs) and place their independence at risk. As an informal caregiver, it\u2019s important to learn all you can about senior eye health so that your loved one will enjoy a higher quality of life<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Common Vision Problems in the Elderly<\/h2>\n<p>The National Eye Institute has identified these common age-related <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nei.nih.gov\/learn-about-eye-health\/resources-for-health-educators\/vision-and-aging-resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vision problems<\/a> in the elderly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Glaucoma: <\/strong>Glaucoma describes several different conditions, all of which can damage the optic nerve, resulting in impaired vision and even blindness.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Macular degeneration: <\/strong>This age-related condition causes part of the retina to lose function, which affects a senior\u2019s ability to maintain sharp, central vision.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cataracts: <\/strong>A cataract is a clouding of the eye\u2019s lens, which makes objects look blurry. Cataracts can also exacerbate glare and diminish one\u2019s ability to perceive colors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Diabetic retinopathy: <\/strong>As one of the complications from diabetes, retinopathy is caused by damaged blood vessels in the retina.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Low vision: <\/strong>Low vision describes a reduction in eye function that may make reading, watching TV, and performing other routine activities more challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Signs of Age-Related Vision Changes<\/h2>\n<p>If you think that your senior loved one&#8217;s eye health is degrading, look for these warning signs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Frequently bumping into objects or knocking them over<\/li>\n<li>Squinting or tilting their head to focus<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/seniordirectory.com\/articles\/info\/10-ways-in-which-seniors-can-avoid-slip-trip-and-fall-accidents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Slip, trip, and fall accidents<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Unexplained dents and scratches on their car<\/li>\n<li>Missing or spilling items when reaching for them<\/li>\n<li>Hesitant to walk or move<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding everyday tasks like reading the mail, cooking, or driving<\/li>\n<li>Mixing up household items, foodstuffs, or boxes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Eye Health Tips for Senior Adults<\/h2>\n<p>Left unaddressed, progressive vision loss could place your senior\u2019s health and wellbeing at risk. As a concerned party here are five vision health tips you can use to keep your parent safe and comfortable:<\/p>\n<h3>Share your concerns<\/h3>\n<p>Based on what you\u2019ve observed sit down and respectfully share your concerns with your loved one. If they deny any problems at first be patient-yet-persistent. Once they admit that they have vision issues offer to help. The worst thing you can do is ignore the problem.<\/p>\n<h3>Book them an eye exam<\/h3>\n<p>To proactively prevent eye disease the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aao.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">American Academy of Ophthalmology<\/a> recommends that all seniors get a complete eye exam every year. Schedule an eye appointment for your senior and join them to learn about the doctor&#8217;s view. Sometimes an updated eyeglass prescription and a new set of lenses are all it takes!<\/p>\n<h3>Ensure a safer home environment<\/h3>\n<p>Seniors with vision problems may be more prone to accidents around the home. One way to help is by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/fall-proofing-your-home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">updating their residence<\/a> to accommodate vision changes. Home modifications to consider include adding more lighting, removing trip-and-fall hazards, and making sure that the home has clear, accessible routes throughout.<\/p>\n<h3>Serve them eye-healthy foods<\/h3>\n<p>For older adults, diet can be a major factor for maintaining and even strengthening their vision. Encourage your senior to eat nutrient-rich foods as part of a well-balanced diet, including those that specifically <a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/321226\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">benefit vision<\/a>. Leafy greens, fish, omega-3 eggs, nuts, citrus fruits, and carotenoid-rich vegetables are all \u201ceye-healthy\u201d choices for seniors and their caregivers.<\/p>\n<h3>Stress medication compliance<\/h3>\n<p>Medications for glaucoma, diabetes, and other eye-related health conditions need to be taken as prescribed. Help your loved one develop a medication management system that ensures total compliance. If picking up their drugs or remembering their refills are problematic, set them up with an online pharmacy like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pillpack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PillPack<\/a> that offers to-the-door deliveries.<\/p>\n<h2>An Extended Family in Your Loved One\u2019s Home<\/h2>\n<p>Looking after an aging loved one with vision problems isn\u2019t easy when you can\u2019t always be there. <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/\">Assisting Hands Home Care Services<\/a> is available in communities Northwest of Boston, MA\u2013 from a few hours a day or around the clock and we customize our care to meet your schedule.\u00a0Our highly trained team of professional caregivers knows how to help independent seniors live with vision changes by offering them encouragement and hands-on support.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to helping your loved one manage any eye conditions, we might have our compassionate caregivers who can also provide dignified in-home personal care services ranging from companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, transportation for shopping, appointments, and errands, light housekeeping, and laundry, to personal care and help with bathing and dressing. To learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/\">Assisting Hands Home Care Services<\/a> now, or to schedule a FREE assessment for a senior in Northwest of Boston, MA today, please visit us at <a href=\"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/massachusetts\/bostonnw\/\">www.assistinghands.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to a study published by American Family Physicians, approximately one-in-three adults have some form of vision-reducing eye disease by the age of 65. Check out this article to learn about common problems and tips regarding a senior&#8217;s eye health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":225,"featured_media":4527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[324],"tags":[328,325,329],"class_list":["post-4526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-senior-health","tag-ocular-health","tag-senior-eye-health","tag-vision-issues"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/225"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4526"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6103,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4526\/revisions\/6103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/68\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}