Healthy Vision Month and Aging Loved Ones
Our eyes deliver so much information to our brains about the world around us, yet they are too often neglected when it comes to their health and wellness.
If you are a family caregiver to an elderly relative, it can be far too easy to overlook the importance of eye health in the elderly. Since May is Healthy Vision Months, it’s an ideal time for you to take a closer look at what you can do to help your loved one boost their eye health.
Senior Care in Culpeper County VA: Healthy Vision Month
Eye Care and Elderly Adults
The reason that regular eye exams are so important in elderly adults is that most eye diseases have no observable symptoms, except during eye exams. With many other illnesses in the body, family members or home care providers can spot early symptoms quite easily and get seniors to a doctor for an early diagnosis. However, with the eyes, the diseases and problems must become quite advanced before they are noticed by a home care provider, family member or yourself. By then, it can be too late to do any kind of effective treatment.
As a family caregiver, you can play a big part in getting your elderly relative into annual eye exams to get a checkup. If your aging relative is no longer able to drive, you can schedule a time when you or an in-home care provider can transport them. Eye health is far too important to ignore, so take the time to make an appointment for them today.
Common Eye Health Issues in Seniors
When it comes to senior eye health, there are a number of diseases that can develop. Many of these are serious enough that they can lead to permanent vision problems and even blindness. The earlier these vision health problems are detected and treated, the more likely it is that your aging relative can keep their good vision and healthy eyes.
- Here are some of the most common vision issues that affect aging adults:
- Dry eye: Tear glands and tear ducts are unable to produce enough moisture to keep the eyes lubricated.
- Cataracts: When the normally clear lens becomes clouded.
- Glaucoma: Fluid buildup that damages the optic nerve due to increased eye pressure.
- Diabetic retinopathy: When high blood sugar damages the blood vessels in the eye.
- Age-related macular degeneration: Damage to the retina that affects a person’s central vision.
Regular eye exams are extremely important for people in their senior years.
That, plus a healthy lifestyle, can really make a difference in their vision and eye health. Of course, family caregivers or the home care provider should help the elderly adult visit an eye doctor immediately if they notice any changes in their vision or experience any eye pain or pressure.
There’s no reason to put off eye exams for seniors any longer, thanks to the available information and resources that you can access during May’s Healthy Vision Month. After all, maintaining good eye health and vision as your loved one ages can help them keep their quality of life as high as it can be.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering Senior Care in Culpeper County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Call Us Today at (703) 634-9991.
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