You’ve probably noticed that your mother is continuously suffering from low vision issues. She’s unable to distinguish colors or see dust on the table. Perhaps this has become a persistent problem, even after she got prescription glasses. In that case, she might be developing early visual impairments.
In an international survey, researchers proved that women are 12% more likely to lose their vision as they grow older. Moreover, they can have vision loss due to cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, etc.
That’s why you need to take your mom to a doctor first. The physicians can then diagnose her with blurred, spotty, peripheral, or central vision loss. Once you’ve received the diagnosis, it’s time to care for her. These include seeking professional help, focusing on some activities, and showing support.
In this blog, we will discuss these three tips to help you care for your mother, who is developing vision problems.
#1. Seek Professional Help
Of course, you want to stay with your mother 24/7 and help her with daily chores. However, you’ve got other responsibilities, and it won’t be possible for you to be with her all the time. As her vision deteriorates, she’ll need someone to supervise her.
That’s where a homecare company comes in. The best thing about such companies is that their services are available everywhere in America. You can find in-home caregivers in every village, town, county, and city. Hence, you can hire trained professionals even if your mother has retired to the outskirts or a rural area.
For instance, you can hire a trained 24/7 caregiver if your mom lives in the downtown area or northwestern part of Louisiana, like Shreveport City or Monroe County. Approximately 17% of the state’s population is over 65 years old. That means you’ll find various social workers from local area hospitals and access to services like home care in Northwest Louisiana.
Irrespective of where your mother lives, these professionals will ensure she is safe and cared for. According to Always Best Care Senior Services, in-home caregivers in America have enough experience to offer specialized care to visually impaired seniors. They offer personal care services like bathing, toileting, grooming, dressing, and getting around the house.
Caregivers have the resources to provide the best care possible by assisting your mother in managing the household. Their compassion and caring nature allow them to customize their caregiving based on your mother’s lifestyle. With their help, your ailing mom can live a dignified life during her golden years.
#2. Show Her Support
Caring for a visually impaired senior involves a lot of supervision, exercising, and walking around the house. Hence, you should focus on offering your mother emotional and physical support. Remember, she is vulnerable and will need all the help she can get.
A few ways to show support and make her feel fulfilled and confident include the following:
- Use colored tape to accentuate contrasting colors in plates, cups, utensils, and towels in your home to help her find things.
- Organize everything in the cupboards and keep items like mail, keys, phones, etc., in reachable locations.
- Clean up any clutter in the house and remove rugs to ensure the living space is clear of tripping hazards and obstacles.
- Add more lighting fixtures, motion lights, lamps, and night lights throughout the house to help your mom see better.
- Install blinds and shades over the windows to reduce glare, or buy your mother anti-glare sunglasses.
Most importantly, you should encourage your mom to remain active throughout the day. For instance, take her to visit her friends and ask her to enjoy her hobbies.
#3. Focus on Activities
Since your mother has been sighted all her life, this gradual vision loss could lead her to avoid any recreational opportunities. That’s because maintaining hobbies can be challenging due to vision loss. Moreover, the inability to get things done on her own could make her feel frustrated.
That’s why you need to introduce activities that are suited for visually impaired seniors. Some examples of sensory activities include the following:
- Sculpting using modeling clay and painting with bright colors.
- Listening to audiobooks and podcasts.
- Performing low-impact, less intense, and safe exercises like chair yoga.
- Helping your mom tidy the home, like folding clothes, sorting silverware, etc.
- Going for a walk with your mom to help her get fresh air.
- Creating a small garden for her on the windowsill and adding flowers with a strong smell.
- Take her to the neighborhood dog park and allow her to pet furry animals.
All these activities can be soothing and enhance your mother’s sensory abilities. For example, yoga can improve her overall health due to blood circulation. Similarly, listening to audiobooks can boost her mood. Overall, these activities will make the vision loss journey less frightening.
In conclusion, visual impairments can make your mom feel lonely, frustrated, overwhelmed, and frightened. As her vision deteriorates, she will continuously question her independence and feel like a burden to you. That’s why you must show her support and offer reassurance.
Life will get tough for her, and she’ll depend on other people for regular activities. For that, you must hire an in-home caregiver when you cannot be around. Moreover, you should help your mother focus on activities like listening to audiobooks and helping them tidy up the household.