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Five Signs Seniors with Dementia Might Have Vision Trouble

Sometimes seniors with dementia can’t communicate what’s happening to them. Watching for signs of vision trouble can make it easier to help them.
Alzheimer's home care helps identify vision changes that affect safety for seniors with dementia
Alzheimer's home care helps identify vision changes that affect safety for seniors with dementia

Seniors with dementia often have a tough time sharing what changes they experience as they age. One of those changes can include trouble with their vision. If family caregivers don’t realize that seniors are having increased vision issues, they may not know to find ways to help their aging family members. Alzheimer’s home care providers can help families identify potential signs of vision issues and assist in accommodating those changes.

 

Tears or Other Signs of Irritation

Tears can sometimes be a symptom of vision issues, particularly if seniors rub their eyes frequently, which can worsen irritation. If seniors experience frequent issues with teary or watering eyes, they might have pressure in or around their eyes that could be related to other eye diseases.

Excess tears can also indicate issues like cataracts or, oddly enough, dry eyes.

 

Squinting or Bringing Items Close to Themselves

As seniors with dementia experience worsening vision, they might squint, tilt their heads, or bring items closer to their faces to see them better. They might start sitting much closer to the television. They might also try to clean television screens, eyeglasses, or windows much more often, believing that’s the problem.

Alzheimer’s home care providers can help families notice these changes and understand what they might mean.

 

Headaches

Eye pressure, straining to see, and other discomfort in the eye area can cause muscle tension that leads to headaches. It can be difficult for seniors with dementia to let people around them know when they’re in pain, so family members need to learn the signs.

Alzheimer’s home care providers can help families spot those signs so they can offer help more quickly.

 

Increased Trouble Walking Safely

Vision issues also make it more difficult for seniors with dementia to see where they’re going, avoid hazards, and move from well-lit areas to areas that are even slightly darker. As dementia progresses, seniors experience changes in how their brains process input from their eyes, ears, and other senses.

Alzheimer’s home care providers can help families adjust to vision changes, helping to keep seniors with dementia as safe as possible at home.

 

Abandoning Favorite Hobbies

Seniors with dementia can hang onto their favorite hobbies for a long time. They might still be knitting simple patterns, for instance, even as dementia progresses. But if they start to have trouble seeing well, they might no longer be able to engage in those hobbies they enjoyed.

They might not mention why they’re not doing the things they love, but they may be more frustrated than usual. The increase in unexpected behaviors can look random, but there is almost always a cause behind the behavior.

 

It isn’t always easy to spot when seniors with dementia are experiencing trouble in some areas. They’re not always able to communicate what’s happening in the ways that family members expect. Alzheimer’s home care providers have a lot of experience in spotting signs that there might be going on, like when seniors with dementia are starting to have more trouble with their vision.

 

 

 

If you or an aging loved one is considering Alzheimer’s Home Care in Dundalk, MD, please contact the caring staff at A+ Personal Home Care. Call (443) 660-8757, After Hours: (443) 796-5241

A+ Personal Home Care is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Baltimore and DC Metro Area, with offices in Pikesville and Gaithersburg.

Timur Yusufov

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