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Helping Your Parent Protect Their Vision as They Age

January 25, 2017

Senior Care in Jupiter FL

Senior Care in Jupiter FLMore than 6 million people over the age of 65 throughout the United States are living with a severe vision impairment. This can have a dramatic impact on their ability to live independently and their quality of life. Fortunately this is not just something that your senior has to deal with. There are ways that your loved one can protect their vision as they age to reduce the rate of decline and improve their functioning as they age. Use these tips to help your parent protect their vision as they age: • Talk to their eye doctor. There are certain risk factors that increase the chances that your loved one will develop eye diseases. Knowing these risk factors and identifying the chances that they will develop an eye disease can help your parent and you make the right decisions regarding their eye health and the treatment and management of these conditions. • Evaluate physical health. Some physical ailments can have a negative impact on your parent’s vision and increase the chances that they will suffer low vision. Some include high blood pressure and diabetes. If your parent is dealing with these conditions, ensure that they are managing them properly. Talk to their doctor about how their health impacts their vision and what you can do to reduce this impact.
• Encourage them to stop smoking. If your loved one smokes, encourage them to quit. Smoking puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the optic nerve, which can accelerate eye damage and increase the chances that they will develop eye diseases and other problems with their vision.
• Support a healthy lifestyle. Your parent’s lifestyle makes an impact on the health and functioning of their entire body. Support this by encouraging them to eat a healthy, balanced diet that gives their eyes the nutrients that they need to thrive, and keeping them active to help promote healthy blood flow and reduce pressure on the eyes.
• Make good lifestyle choices. In addition to eating a healthy diet and getting enough activity, your parent should make sure that they use their glasses regularly, keep their lighting adequate, and avoid straining their eyes with glare or trying to see things that are too small. Starting senior care for your elderly loved one can make a tremendous difference in their life as they age in place. This is particularly true if they are dealing with challenges and limitations such as low vision. Through a highly personalized set of services, this senior home care services provider can give your aging parent the support, care, and assistance that they need to manage their individual challenges while also helping them to maintain their quality of life and the lifestyle that they desire. This care provider can also be instrumental in helping your loved one protect their vision as they age in place. Through personalized care and support this care provider can help your parent make better lifestyle choices that will help them to keep their eyes stronger and maintain more of their vision throughout their later years. http://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/ways-to-protect.htm http://www.afb.org/info/programs-and-services/professional-development/experts-guide/aging-and-vision-loss/1235
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Jupiter, FL, contact the caring staff at BrightStar Care of Jupiter. Call today (561) 741-1200.