Can Low Vision Negatively Impact Your Parent’s Safety?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, millions of people throughout the United States are living with low vision. This is a very common issue among older people. Structural changes of aging, lingering effects of trauma or illness, certain health issues, and even taking some medications can result in low vision. It’s obvious this can cause challenges in their daily activities, but can it also impact their safety?
Homecare Chester PA – Can Low Vision Negatively Impact Your Parent’s Safety?
As their family caregiver, it is important for you to identify challenges and risks your senior faces, and do what you can to help reduce those risks and keep your parent as safe as possible. When it comes to protecting your senior’s safety as they deal with low vision, it is important to keep in mind that the challenges that come from low vision can occur gradually, and your parent might not even recognize that they are struggling with this limitation until it becomes serious. Recognizing and addressing these risks early can be beneficial in preventing injury and other problems.
Some of the potential ways low vision can negatively impact your parent’s safety include:
- Difficulty detecting individual steps, the beginning of a staircase, or the threshold, particularly if they have the same covering as the floor.
- Increased difficulty telling the difference between shadowy areas and not shadowy areas, which can lead to tripping or running into objects.
- Not seeing spills or small objects on the floor that can lead to slipping or tripping.
- Not recognizing potential tripping hazards, such as a hose in the grass, or a lawn decoration that has fallen over.
- Not being able to read warning labels on medications.
- Not noticing mold or other signs of food being bad before consumption.
If you are concerned about your aging parent’s safety as they age in place, homecare can be a beneficial supplement to the care you already give them. Low vision can put your aging parent at risk of dangerous situations that may result in serious injury. The personalized services of a homecare provider can help your parent to avoid these situations.
Not only can this help them to prevent injury and other consequences, but it can also promote greater independence, activity, and engagement in the world around them. By knowing that they have the assistance to remain safer, your aging parent can feel more confident engaging in more activities in and around the home, and be less prone to avoiding social situations or outings.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/data/national.htm
If you or an aging loved one are considering Homecare Services in Chester PA, please contact the caring staff at True Direct Home Health Care today.
Doc, as he is called by everyone - staff, patients and clients - first experienced home health care and hospice care while as a colleg student at King's College as he cared for his mother every day while she first battled COPD and then lung cancer. It was during this time that he came to understand that caring for a patient was more than just clinical expertise.
"Admittedly, my strongest attribute is my communication skills and the simple fact that I love to help people. Even the smallest thing you can do for someone really can mean so much to them long term. In fact, it could change them forever. That's what providing quality personal home health care should be all about."
In his spare time, he cooks for homeless shelters and children's music and arts events. He also is highly involved in his local youth sports soccer academy as a coach and Board member.
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