La Jolla Senior Care News

Overcoming Obstacles For Proper Eye Care

There are a lot of different circumstances an elderly person could be in, including the region they come from, family responsibilities, economic status, general health and motivation, availability of transportation among others. Treatments are the same for all of these people.
Eye Doctor - Senior Care La Costa CA
Eye Doctor - Senior Care La Costa CA

Senior Care La Costa CA

Low vision is a serious condition with a need to be taken care of as soon as possible. The longer the person waits, the consequences could be potentially more serious. This is especially true in the elderly population. There are a lot of different circumstances an elderly person could be in, including the region they come from, family responsibilities, economic status, general health and motivation, availability of transportation among others. Treatments are the same for all of these people.

First of all, low vision may be treated with the use of eyeglasses and magnifiers. Different medications can be prescribed for the person, or even surgery in some cases depending on the cause of the vision impairment.

There are special large-print books for people with eyesight impairments, and some other everyday items, such as playing cards with big letters and images. Computers can run special software designed especially for people who need larger and clearer print and images. Seniors may sometimes refuse to use any of these devices, and it is usually up to the family caregiver to motivate their elderly family member as much as possible.

When examining the eyesight of a person with low vision, doctors would test:

  1. Near and distance visual accuracy testing
  2. Good refraction
  3. Make an assessment of magnification needs
  4. Prescribing low or medium power vision devices. They can be optical, and non-optical, for near and distance vision
  5. Testing the contrast sensitivity levels

“The importance of providing appropriate low vision and rehabilitation services cannot be over-emphasized. Whereas loss of reading ability is often considered to be the most devastating consequence of visual impairment in high-income countries, it may have little significance and impact on the quality of life of an older person in a rural village in a low- or middle-income country. As populations live longer, many countries must prepare for great increases in the number of people with age-related conditions resulting in low vision. In the future, integrated low vision and rehabilitation services for older people will assume more importance.”

(Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2467468/)

Ophthalmologists usually require more time with the examination of seniors, as the testing can often take longer than usual. Once the doctor makes their diagnosis and offers treatment, it is important for your senior loved one to follow the protocol, to maximize the eyesight they currently have and try to avoid any more loss of sight.

It can be difficult to find the time and energy to keep track of your senior’s appointments and be able to accompany them. They may also have personal care and home care tasks they need some help with. Consider hiring home care services. A caring and experienced caregiver is the perfect solution.

For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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