Seeing the World Around You with Active Personal Care
There is not an aspect of your life that is not affected by changes in your vision. Using personal care for low vision problems can help minimize the effect these changes have on your quality of life.
How would your day be different if you weren’t able to see? How would your routine differ? What activities would have to change? How would this affect your mood and overall health? If you are 1 of the approximately 12 million Americans with impaired vision, this isn’t a hypothetical question. It is the reality you live in. You may rely on others for many of the tasks that most take for granted.
The Effects of Low Vision
The Effects of Low VisionLow vision is one of the top 10 reasons for disability. It decreases your quality of life and independence. As vision loss progresses, you may become dissatisfied with life, have more bad physical and mental days, and be limited in both the essential and nonessential activities that you can do.
Mobility is also affected by the loss of vision. Our bodies rely on the eyes’ ability to perceive information about our surroundings. When that is affected, you lose depth perception and the ability to see fine details. This decreases the ability to use simple day to day things like stairs. It also increases the risk of falls and the associated outcomes from a fall.
Studies have found that patients with vision loss also experience higher levels of depression, cognitive impairment, and an increase in all-cause mortality compared to those without any form of vision loss.
One of the not so apparent effects of vision loss is the way it affects other conditions you may have. Low vision amplifies the adverse effects of other chronic illnesses and injuries. Low vision makes it harder to perform routine tasks needed to maintain good health. These tasks may include meal preparation and health checks like foot care or blood glucose checks. You may struggle in administering medications or even reading pill bottles.
According to the CDC, the annual economic impact of low vision is greater than $145 billion for those 40 years and older. Of this, individuals pay for about 50% of all these costs. At least $1.3 billion is spent in informal care activities or in other words, unpaid care provided by family and friends.
How Active Personal Care can Help with Low Vision
Active Personal Care understands the burden that low vision has on the patient and their caregivers. There is not an aspect of your life that is not affected by changes in vision. Our personal care aides are available to help whenever you need.
Some of the ways that we can help include:
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- Companionship
- Safety supervision
- Shopping and errands
- Medication management
- Ambulation and transfer aid
- Dressing and grooming
- Transportation to appointments
- Respite for caregivers
Active Personal Care’s Tips for Caregivers
If you are currently caring for someone with low vision, there are several simple things you can do to help. These include:
- Create wide, clear paths to navigate the house
- Have specific places for things your loved one uses most often
- Ensure the house has good, sufficient lighting
- Use bright colored tape on the edges of stairs or any hazards
- Eliminate bulky throw rugs, power chords or oxygen tubing
- Attach raised buttons to needed appliances
Why Choose Active Personal Care?
Whether you have been newly diagnosed or have lived with this for years, ask yourself this question: What day to day activities are too hard for me to do on my own? Active Personal Care is here to help. Call us today to schedule your free, in-home consultation and experience for yourself how we provide support for your personal needs.
