As part of National Glaucoma Awareness Month Accredited Care would like to focus on glaucoma in seniors. Offering tips and informative facts about this common eye disease can hopefully bring awareness and help someone save their sight.
Information About Glaucoma in Seniors
Accredited Home Care offers a number of services to fit your specific needs. Hopefully the following information about the disease will help educate you enough to understand that early intervention is extremely important.
- Eyesight – This picture from WebMd shows what your vision is like when you have glaucoma. Without treatment, the viewable area closes in entirely and will eventually cause blindness.
- Treatment – There is no cure for glaucoma; however, it can be treated. Treatments vary and can slow the deterioration of your eyesight. You may be able to keep from completely losing your vision with successful treatment and continuous care.
- Risk Factors – There are risk factors associated with getting glaucoma. These include age, genetics, and certain medical conditions.
- Types of Glaucoma – There are different types of glaucoma; with open-angle glaucoma being the most common form.
- Symptoms – You do NOT always have symptoms that can alert you to the fact that you may have glaucoma. However, some symptoms may occur. Because symptoms do not always happen, it’s important to have comprehensive eye exams regularly.
Tips for Seniors Who Have Glaucoma
In many cases, glaucoma in seniors can present other problems that can change how they approach daily life tasks.
- Fall Risk – Many seniors may already be at risk for falling due to medication side effects or symptoms from other health issues. Poor vision can greatly increase risk of seniors falling.
- Driving – Light halos, floaters and flashes can be a side effect or symptom of glaucoma. These particular symptoms can make night vision challenging. Changes in your peripheral view can also put you at risk when driving.
- Headaches – Any problems with the eyes can cause headaches. These headaches can interfere with life and social activities.
- Continued Care – It’s extremely important to continue regular comprehensive eye exams to determine if and how much your glaucoma changes. It is also important to follow medical instructions for medication, drops, etc. to help keep your vision at its best.
How Home Care Can Help
As we age our abilities change. When we are faced with something like glaucoma in seniors it can decrease our quality of life. Having in home care can help in many ways.
- Driving – Utilizing in home care services can help with enabling you to get around still. Despite vision problems, you can safely be taken on errands, shopping, and social functions to maintain the quality of life that you deserve in your “golden years.”
- Exams & Appointments – When you are diagnosed with glaucoma it is imperative that you get regular comprehensive eye exams. Our non-medical in home caregivers can help with appointment reminders and getting you to your appointments so that you can receive the medical care you need. We can also provide reminders to take medications and eye drops that will help reduce your risk for blindness.
- Reducing the Risk for Falls – We pride ourselves in being very good at helping you make your home a little safer by addressing issues that could increase the risk for senior falls. We can help you keep your home free of clutter with regular light housekeeping and provide advice on certain products, techniques, and affordable adaptations to help decrease your risk of falls at home.
- Daily Life Tasks – Decreased vision can impair your ability to do certain everyday tasks like cooking, reading, and even cleaning well. Our in home care can provide light housekeeping services, cooking services, and companionship that can increase your quality of life.
We want to provide information, care, and services that help make aging easier. Bringing you information about glaucoma in seniors during National Glaucoma Awareness Month is just one way that we help you live a better life through knowledge.
Photo by hasor
