One of the most common conditions associated with aging is visual impairment. The risk of lowered vision or even blindness increases dramatically as we age. This sudden loss of vision is hard for many older adults to get used to, so it’s important to help them adapt to life with less sight. Thankfully, there are many resources available to help sight-impaired older adults and their loved ones.
Guidance
Managing blindness or other visual impairments can be overwhelming for older adults and their loved ones. We’ve listed a few resources to help provide support and guidance through this process.
- American Foundation for the Blind: The American Foundation for the Blind’s mission is to help those with lowered vision or blindness successfully accommodate their condition in their daily lives. They are a great source for support, research, and finding new technology or strategies to help manage vision loss. Even if someone is not fully blind, checking out their website will still be helpful!
- National Federation of the Blind: The National Federation of the Blind provides a wide variety of resources for the blind. From a massive library dedicated to research about blindness to a news service that can help blind people keep up with their favorite publications, this organization offers support in many ways! They even have a catalog of products to assist sight-impaired people, which can be useful for sight-impaired older adults seeking to adapt their house to their new needs.
- National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled: The National Library Service curates a large selection of books and publications designed for those with visual impairments. They include accommodations like audio or braille to make reading easier, and their services help ensure that sight-impaired older adults can continue to enjoy their favorite books!
Safety
Another important aspect of living with vision impairments is safety. Falls and slips are already a major risk for older adults, so making sure that they can navigate their living space safely even with limited sight is a priority. There are many products designed to assist blind people in their daily lives. We’ve listed some ideas below, but everyone has their own individual needs!
- Low-vision lighting: Improving the lighting in a house can work wonders for those with visual impairments. Adding additional lighting to difficult or hard-to-navigate areas, like the kitchen or bathroom, will make it easier for sight-impaired older adults to complete their daily tasks. However, watch out for glare! Many visual conditions that affect older adults can make it difficult for the eyes to regulate glare, which makes sight difficult and uncomfortable.
- Contrasting colors: High contrast can make shapes easier to identify for those with lowered vision. This could be implemented anywhere in the house! For example, installing light switches that are a high-contrast color from the surrounding wall will make it easier for sight-impaired people to turn their lights on and off. Another example is installing high-contrast floor runners that indicate walking paths in the house.
- Light-reflective paint: Adding strips of light-reflective paint to danger areas like stairs can indicate where they are and help prevent falls and slips.
Vision loss is a tough condition for many older adults and their loved ones to get used to, but it can be managed, and many sight-impaired older adults continue to enjoy a happy lifestyle! Using the resources available and finding support is key.
