Seniors who have low vision can stay in their homes as they age in many cases, but it can really help them if their family members or home care assistance providers make a few changes to the home. January is National Eyecare Month and one way that seniors with low vision can ensure their safety at home is to adapt it to fit their new vision needs. If you have a senior loved one with low vision try these home hacks to make it easier for them to age in place:
Place Lights Behind Or To The Side
The best position for lamps in the home is behind a chair or sofa or to the side of the furniture. That will help reduce the glare. Also all lamps and lights should have LED bulbs because LED bulbs produce less glare. People with low vision can struggle to see because of the glare put out by lamps. If the rooms in the home have overhead lighting make sure that the bulbs are LED bulbs and coat the lighting fixtures with a non-glare coating if your senior loved finds it difficult to see because of any glare from the light fixture.
Use Contrast To Make It Easier To See
Seniors with low vision can have trouble distinguishing shapes so using paint and other materials to highlight contrasts in colors will make it much easier for your senior loved one to see shapes and items. For example you can paint the stairs a dark color and put light colored carpet squares or treads on each stair so that your senior loved one can see where to put their foot safely. You can also paint doorways a different color from the walls in a room so that your senior loved one can find the doorway easily. Another way to use contrast is to put a dark tablecloth on the table and buy some light colored dishes so that your senior loved one will be able to see the dishes against the tablecloth.
Keep Everything In The Same Place
A home care assistance provider can help your senior loved one by making sure that items like medications, clothing, shoes, and toiletries are put back in the same place every time they are used. That way your senior loved one won’t have to struggle as much to see if they are using the right item. They can trust that the item they are reaching for is the one they intend to use.
Use Tape On Hardware
To make sure that your senior loved one can see things like cabinet and drawer pulls a home care assistance provider can put reflective tape or high contrast tape on them. The tape will give your senior loved one something substantial they can hold onto and make it easier for them to see where the pull should be. Then your senior loved one will have an easier time opening drawers or cabinets on their own.
If you are considering home care assistance in Bowie, MD, for a loved one, please contact the caring staff at Care at Home of Rockville. Call today: (301) 923-4707.
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