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5 Safety Tips for Your Loved One with Vision Problems

Family Caregivers in Norwood MA

Diminishing vision can be a big problem for elderly loved ones. As your loved one’s family caregiver, it’s important that you go through all of the scenarios in his life and home and make sure that he’s as safe as possible. Here are a few tips for making your senior’s home safer as his vision worsens:

Pay Particular Attention to Rugs and Cords

Rugs, cords, and other tripping hazards are easy for your loved one to overlook if he has vision problems. Remove or replace rugs that can slip or that roll to make a bigger hazard to trip over. Non-skid rugs can be a good replacement idea, but if that isn’t an option, consider using carpet tape to secure rugs and mats.

Install Hand Rails

Hand rails and grab bars need to be sturdy and available in any areas where your loved one might need additional stability. Stairways, hallways, and bathrooms are some of the most common places to add hand rails, but your loved one might need them in other areas, too. Be sure to ask about other locations that would benefit from a hand rail.

Use Reflective Tape

Steps can be dangerous for loved ones who have vision problems because it’s not always easy to see where the steps begin and end. Try using reflective or bright tape or paint to mark the edge of each step. That way your loved one is able to clearly spot the edge so that he doesn’t accidentally step over the wrong way.

Check Lighting

If your loved one has diminished vision, increased lighting can help more than you realize. Some vision issues, such as retinopathy and glaucoma, make everything around your loved one appear darker than it really is. Check the lighting in his home and replace dim light bulbs with brighter ones. You may also need to add lamps in strategic areas.

Keep Areas Open

Putting obstacles in your loved one’s way is a bad idea if he’s dealing with diminished vision. To resolve that problem, make sure that furniture is out of the way and keep clutter and other items out of pathways. If possible, adjust furniture so that it’s against the walls of each room and leaves a clear pathway for your loved one to walk freely through.

Accommodating your loved one’s vision problems is easier than it might seem at first, but you may still run into difficult situations. A non-medical caregiver can be invaluable in keeping your senior loved one safe at home, for example by offering assistance to and from the bathroom, handling the laundry that’s down a flight of stairs, ensuring they get into the tub safely, etc.

If you or an aging loved one are considering non-medical in-home care in Metrowest Boston, MA, call Griswold Home Care and speak to one of our caring staff members today. Call (781) 559-0073

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