It’s easy to take advantage of our vision when we are younger, but as we age and our body’s change, we need to pay attention to our vision. We depend on our vision more than we realize. There are so many ways our vision assists with how we interact with our environment.
Mary Ann stares at me intensely with her head cocked to the side. She only has peripheral vision due to her macular degeneration. She is considered legally blind and uses several devices in order to be able to read, watch television and view her surroundings.
Another client living at home with our assistance has glaucoma. She has tunnel vision (loss of peripheral field sight). Her difficulty is more related to safety and navigating when she leaves her home.
Functional Visual Screenings are extremely important. Persons who are 65 and older, have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), neuromuscular deficits, diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and have a history of falls should be tested.
There are tests you can do at home with little to no cost to check and see if you or a loved one has a visual deficit. The Clock Test will show if one has unilateral neglect, or can only see from one side of their environment. The Amsler Grid Test will show if you have blind spots due to macular degeneration. Distance and Near Vision Tests can be done at home also, but as with the other tests, a doctor needs to be involved when treating any vision deficits.
Trouble with vision can become a problem when a person wants to stay in their home as they age. If you or a loved one have visual deficits and need help in the home, please call Care N Assist to help.
