Now that the holiday season is here, family gatherings are taking place everywhere. During this time, it’s important to ensure a welcoming home that’s accessible for holiday visits from older family members or friends. Here are some ways to help loved ones age-related needs and sight loss feel comfortable and included during their holiday visit at your home.

Why Holiday Visits are Important

During all the festivities, it’s easy for older individuals or people with sight loss to feel isolated and depressed. They may feel left out because they aren’t able to participate in all the activities the way they used to. Many aren’t as mobile and can’t be out and about. Receiving Christmas cards could be a bittersweet reminder of friends that are no longer around. Some may feel like their visual impairment keeps them from contributing to holiday preparations. Worst of all, they may even feel that they are being a burden or an inconvenience to the family.

When you’re having loved ones over for the holiday, these are some of the feelings and situations you’re mitigating. Family and friends can make such a big difference in helping someone feel a sense of belonging. Little ones can really make grandparents smile, helping them to focus less on age-related difficulties. When your family activities and your home is accessible for holiday visits, it makes an even greater impact.

Preparing the Whole Family

Adult children of older parents have to be mindful of the whole family, both their older parents and younger children. When older family members are coming over it’s important to help little ones be sensitive to their needs. It’s one thing for children to enjoy a quick visit to Papa and Nana’s, it’s quite another thing for them to live in the same space for a few days.

Little ones need to be reminded that their grandparents need quiet and restful moments during the day. It’s also important for them to respect the areas of the home that their grandparents will be staying in. Older children can be reminded to be helpful. They can be responsible for specific tasks and be especially helpful for certain situations during their grandparents’ stay.

If you haven’t seen your parent, in-law, or friend for some time, you may need to prepare yourself emotionally. Expect to see signs of age-related changes when they come to visit. It’s not always easy to see older parents needing help when they’ve always been independent. Keep in mind that change is natural and there are many ways to spend time with loved ones at every stage of life.

Making the Home Accessible

Along with cleaning, helpful arrangements could be made for family or friends who are older or have a visual impairment.

Assign them to a room that is accessible. Many older adults struggle with stairs. If there’s a way, make them comfortable on the first floor. Likewise, make sure they can easily get to the bathroom. For loved ones with low vision provide adequate lighting, especially during the night. They may need to go to the bathroom or the kitchen and need the light to navigate an unfamiliar environment.

For family members who are severely sight impaired, be sure to eliminate any obstacles. Put out of path clutter they can easily bump into or trip over. When they arrive, take the time to really familiarize them with where everything is. They may easily pick up the house layout, or it may take several go-arounds for them to become confident. Start by making sure they can easily navigate their room.

Just as important, show them how to work things around the house. For example, how to get water from the fridge. Is there a button for toggling between ice and water? Would it help to temporarily put a marker on appliances they’ll be using.

Makie Holiday Activities Accessible and Inclusive

Help them feel welcome by taking the time to prepare for their visit and making your home comfortable and accessible. Additionally include them in preparations and family activities. Even if they just have a cup of tea and talk while you prepare meals in the kitchen. Or just sit comfortably and listen as the children decorate the Christmas tree. These simple things will bring joy, warding off feelings of isolation.

Let them have a voice in the family by listening to their stories and experiences. Avoid overloading the family with festivities that are too tiring. If necessary, make provisions for someone to keep them company while the rest of the family are out.

Additionally, when they are participating in family activities, don’t forget to always take a moment to describe to them what’s going on. They may not be able to see and need help to fully participate.

By addressing your loved one’s needs and making your home accessible, the family can be less stressed and more focused on the joy of being together. After all, Christmas is the season for giving and family, so it’s especially important for everyone to feel loved and included no matter what.

–End of Article–

Related Articles

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When You’re New to Sight Loss During the Holiday

The post Make Your Home Accessible for Holiday Visits appeared first on RealSAM USA.

Embracing retirement years comes with a unique set of adventures. But sometimes, our eyes need a little extra TLC to keep up with the journey. If you or a loved one notices changes in your vision, it’s time to pay attention to what your eyes may be going through. Here are 10 signs of age-related sight loss. Knowing what to be aware of can empower you to be proactive about your health and eye care.

1. Changes in Visual Acuity

Have you found yourself squinting at the morning paper or holding the latest novel closer than usual? It’s not just your imagination playing tricks. These may be early signs of age-related sight loss. It’s important to report changes to your doctor who could refer you for a complete eye check. Early attention could prevent further vision loss and other complications.

2. Increased Sensitivity to Light

Are bright lights causing you to squirm? Do you find yourself reaching for a pair of sunglasses more often? Have you decreased the brightness of screens and devices? Maybe you can’t stand looking at websites with a lot of white space or bright colors. If you’re experiencing these things, your eyes have developed light sensitivity or photophobia. Light sensitivity and glares can be symptoms of age-related eye conditions like glaucoma. The sooner you can pinpoint the cause, the sooner you can work with your doctor towards a treatment or a solution.

3. Altered Color Perception

The world is a vibrant canvas, but what if the colors start to blur? Have you noticed a subtle shift in the hues around you? Is it challenging to distinguish between certain colors? If you’re experiencing a general dimming of your color perception, don’t ignore the changes. These could be indicative of various eye conditions such as cataracts or age-related macular degeneration. It’s a cue to check in with your doctor.

4. Difficulty Adjusting to Change

Is it becoming difficult to adjust from bright to dim environments and vice versa? It could be another sign that you’re experiencing age-related sight loss. Your vision may become blurry or hazy. Or you see spots that take time to clear as you transition from one type of lighting to another. There may be a developing eye condition that needs to be addressed.

5. Impaired Night Vision

Is it harder to navigate at night? If you’re finding yourself squinting and struggling to decern shapes and shadows, don’t blame it on a long day. It could be another sign of potential age-related sight loss. If left unchecked, there’s a greater risk of experiencing accidents, especially if you’re driving. It may also be disorienting to walk around. It’s vital to be aware of your sight at night. You want to avoid seemingly small trips and falls that are much harder for older individuals to recover from.

6. Frequent Prescription Adjustments

How many times have you had to change your prescription glasses in the past couple of years? While it’s great that you can get clearer vision with a new prescription, too many changes may be a sign that it’s time to consult with your doctor. There may be a an underlaying problem that hasn’t been detected. Or you may need to discuss a more lasting solution for better vision, like undergoing cataract removal surgery.

7. Reduced Peripheral Vision

Do you sometimes feel like you missed seeing something because you weren’t looking at it directly? This may be a sign that you’re experiencing reduced peripheral vision, or tunnel vision. Age related eye conditions like glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetes related retinopathy could cause tunnel vision. It’s vital that you get medical advice as soon as possible.

8. Eye Strain and Discomfort

Do you experience eye strain and discomfort? Maybe you feel tightness, pressure, and at times get headaches during or after visually demanding tasks like reading or working on the computer. Yes, it could just be inadequate lighting or focusing on something for too long, but it could also be a sign of age-related vision issues. Be sure to check in with your doctor.

9. Random Mishaps

Have you felt frustrated due to random mishaps you can’t explain? Bumping into furniture or people, knocking over a glass, taking a long time to find an item that was right in front of you, not recognizing someone, misreading a sign or a label, tripping, and missing steps… Don’t feel like you’re being careless or having a streak of bad luck. These occurrences may be because you’re experiencing changes to your vision.

10. Lights and Floaters

Do you sometimes see flashes of lights that aren’t really there? You may randomly see stars, sparks, and flashes of light.  Additionally, eye floaters are spots in your vision that could look like small specks, larger shadows, or even strings. These may be caused by age-related changes in different parts of your eyes. It’s important to note and report your experiences with your doctor or eye care specialist.

Don’t Panic and Don’t Lose Sight

Remember, this journey is about discovery and empowerment. If you’re experiencing any of these signs, it may be sight loss or it may be altogether a completely different issue. Just be sure to consult with your doctor about issues and changes. This will help you make the most informed decision about your eye health. Sight loss or not, don’t lose sight—at this phase of life, you should be enjoying all the freedoms that come with your senior years. You’ve made it this far, don’t let any challenges stop you from being your best.

The post 10 Signs of Age-Related Sight Loss appeared first on RealSAM USA.

1. Reducing Glare

Different eye conditions can cause light sensitivity. Light is crucial, but excessive amounts or glare can cause physical discomfort such as tearing up or getting headaches. Glare can also cause vision to become hazy or blurry, making details even less visible for those who are visually impaired. To reduce glare, use shades or filters on light sources, position lights at different angles, and use matte finishes on surfaces to reduce reflective glare.

2. Increasing Contrast

As higher contrast with dark mode helps many visually impaired people read and navigate their screens, enhancing contrast in the surroundings can improve their ability to distinguish between different objects and surfaces. This can be achieved by using lighting that highlights the edges of objects and surfaces, creating shadows that provide depth perception, and using contrasting colors to create a clear distinction between different surfaces. For example, using a light-colored floor with dark-colored furniture can make it easier for someone with low vision to navigate a room. 

3. Providing Task Lighting

Task lighting can be particularly useful for individuals with low vision, as it provides additional light for specific tasks such as reading, cooking, or sewing. Task lighting can be provided through lamps, under-cabinet lighting, and other forms of localized lighting. By providing additional lighting for specific tasks, people with low vision can work more efficiently and with greater accuracy.

4. Using Natural Light

Sunlight can make any space bright, airy, and beautiful, while being an excellent source of illumination for individuals with low vision. It is important to manage natural light. Too much direct sunlight pouring into a room may be too bright and may cause glare, while not enough of it could darken the room and make it more difficult to see. This can be done by using window treatments, coverings, filters, that allow light in while diffusing direct sunlight and by positioning furniture to take advantage of indirect natural light.

5. Providing Consistent Lighting

Consistent lighting can be important for individuals with low vision, as sudden changes in lighting can be disorienting and make it difficult to see. By providing consistent lighting throughout a space, people with low vision can navigate their surroundings with greater ease.

Taking all these considerations into account and adjusting lighting accordingly can help individuals with low vision make the most of what they can see with comfort, ease, and confidence.

 By Guenivir Kendrick with help from ChatGPT

REFERENCE:

Perez, S. S. (2023, February 16). Useful Independence Tips for Low Vision Awareness Month. The American Foundation for the Blind. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.afb.org/blog/entry/independence-tips

The post 5 Ways to Adjust Lighting for Low Vision appeared first on RealSAM USA.