As we age, we weather a number of changes, not the least of which may include vision loss. In fact, by the time we reach the age of 65, one in six suffers some type of visual impairment. As vision loss progresses and daily tasks become more difficult, it can mean losing the ability to live an independent life.
It’s Not All Bad News
Vision loss transforms life in unimaginable ways, but it doesn’t have to change your lifestyle forever. The fact is, seniors who struggle with vision loss have more choices today than any generation that has ever lived. Technological advances have made possible a lifestyle which, to previous generations, would have seemed nothing short of miraculous.
As much as technology has improved the lives of those with vision loss, however, equally significant lifestyle improvements have come from a very different source. That source is the many available options in assisted living that have sprouted up in the last decade or so. Communities designed and developed with vision impairment in mind have truly changed the lives of older Americans.
Fostering Independence for Seniors With Vision Loss
With vision loss, routine tasks that have always been taken for granted can turn into daily struggles. Showering, cooking, housekeeping, and laundry can become complicated and difficult. For these seniors, driving is out of the question.
These types of tasks, however, are exactly the types of tasks that assisted living communities are designed to facilitate.
Assisted Living Helps With:
- Personal supportive services<
- Meals
- Cleaning
- Health care
- Transportation to doctor’s appointments
- Shopping
Improving the Quality of Life for Seniors with Vision Loss
Vision loss makes daily living tasks more complicated but it also takes a toll on the psyche. Very often, it can compromise someone’s ability to enjoy life, especially at first. Reading, watching television, and surfing the internet suddenly seem impossible.
Fortunately, there are technological solutions to many of these obstacles such as text-to-talk computer software and audio books. As people adapt and gain access to modification strategies, some pleasures are, once again, possible.
The larger issue, however, may be social isolation that results from vision impairment. This often begins when a senior gives up driving. It is compounded, however, when the struggles of daily living make socializing seem overwhelming. Even picking out the right clothes or fixing your hair is a struggle when your vision is impaired.
Social isolation may even lead to a whole host of other problems. According to the CDC, vision loss is linked to depression, among other health and safety issues.
In fact, when combined with other health issues a senior may have, vision loss can act as a multiplier for poor overall health.
Older Americans whose sight is impaired also run greater risk of falls and injuries which can, in turn, cause mobility issues. Combined with existing mobility limitations related to poor eyesight, new problems in getting around can make socialization suddenly seem entirely too burdensome.
Assisted living communities are, by definition, social communities that bring residents together. Whether it’s shared meals, group excursions, or the countless, daily regular interactions that take place during the course of a typical day, they bring seniors into contact with one another in ways that foster a positive environment for healthy living.
Would you like to know more about assisted living communities, and how they can help people cope with vision loss?Five Star Senior Living has sixteen Indiana communities all of which offer assisted living — call us today to schedule a visit!