Throughout January seniors and their families will be paying more attention than ever to eye health. That’s because January is Eye Care Month and it’s the best time of the year to think about senior eye health. There are lots of things that seniors can do to help their eyes like wearing their prescription glasses, eating healthy, and getting enough exercise and enough sleep. But there are some things that family members and companion care at home providers can do to assist seniors in protecting their vision like:
Overhaul The Lighting
One of the best things that family members can do for a senior loved one is to overhaul the lighting in the senior’s home. Many seniors haven’t bought a new lamp or upgraded their light bulbs in decades. By changing the lighting you can change the way that your senior loved one sees the world. Talk to an experienced companion care at home provider to get suggestions on how you can change the lighting to specifically benefit seniors. Things like installing pot lights in the ceiling and changing the placement of lamps can make a huge difference for your senior loved one.
Make An Appointment With An Eye Doctor
When was the last time your senior loved one saw an eye doctor? If your senior loved one hasn’t been to the eye doctor in a year or more it’s time for an exam. Make an appointment for your senior loved one and go with them to the exam to find out what their vision is like now and what recommendations the eye doctor has about keeping their vision strong for the future.
Change The Paint Colors
A fun way to change the light inside your senior loved one’s home is to repaint the rooms inside the house. If your senior loved one has been living with dark drab walls that make it very dark in the home lighten the entire space with bright colors or a clean coat of bright white. Add in high contrast trim and accent walls because the contrast of the colors will make it easier for your senior loved one to see features on the wall. For example, if you paint the dining room white paint the area around the doorway a dark blue or another dark color for contrast. That way your loved one will be able to easily see where the doorway is in relation to the wall.
Rearrange The Furniture
You can also make a big difference in the lighting in the room by rearranging the furniture. Place comfy chairs and sofas in front of large windows so that your senior loved one will get to enjoy the natural light. Make sure there is no glare on television sets if you move them around. And make sure that you arrange the furniture in a way that leaves no clutter and gives your senior loved one plenty of room to get around.