Linda Cammaroto, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist with over 30 years experience. She is currently working at the Homestead Rehabilitation and Health Care Center. For information on aging at home check out the American Occupational Therapy Association website at http://www.aota.org/
QUESTION: My mom, age 70, has low vision caused by macular degeneration and she seems depressed. She is having difficulty reading, identifying prescription labels, coins and bills, dialing the phone, seeing the oven dials and using the TV remote. We are worried about her — should we insist she move in with us? How can we help? — C.M.
ANSWER: Nearly one in 28 Americans older than 40 have low vision or blindness.
Two-thirds of those people live at home and most live alone. One of the normal emotional responses to learning you have a vision loss from disease is sadness, depression and helplessness. Please make sure your Mom talks with her doctor about her depression.
The good news? It is possible for many people to stay in their homes — and occupational therapists are helping people like your mom make it happen every day. One way is by making changes to your home to improve safety and independence. Some things that can help:
- Contrast strip for edges on the stairs, increased lighting in hallways to prevent falls, particularly the top and bottom steps.
- Higher light levels — for example, using a goose-neck lamp to direct the light onto the reading surface may help with reading mail and letters.
- Decrease clutter and keep pathways clear. Remove scatter rugs and put non-skid padding under larger rugs.
- Compensate for vision loss by using your sense of touch. Use Velcro and rubber bands on pill bottles to help distinguish between similar things.
- Puffy paint available in craft stores can be placed on the controls on the stove to help distinguish on/off and the most frequently used setting.
- Look for large print items such as books, a large-button telephone/TV Remote, clock and address book. Voice-activated phones and talking watches are also available.
Your physician may prescribe an optical device (magnifier) to enlarge images. Magnifiers, telescopes, microscopes and electronic magnification are common devices used to assist the individual with visual impairments stay in their own home and continue to be independent.
