Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition caused by complications from diabetes. The retina is the tissue at the back of the eye that contains the rods and cones, which receive light from the front of the eye. Diabetes can damage the retina, causing it to stop functioning the way that it should, leading to vision impairment and other issues. Senior home care providers can help aging adults to deal with the challenges related to diabetic retinopathy.
Challenges with Reading and Writing
Close-up vision is seriously impacted by diabetic retinopathy, especially as the condition progresses. As such, activities like reading and writing become incredibly difficult. Magnifiers or prescription eyeglasses can help somewhat, but that may not be enough. Seniors may need more support to stay independent in daily activities that require reading and writing. Home care providers can make these tasks easier for seniors to manage. They can also help aging adults to find alternative solutions, like using screen readers when possible in order to continue to live independently as much as possible.
Visual Impairment
Diabetic retinopathy impacts vision to varying degrees. Seniors might experience anything from blurriness to complete vision loss. This can make daily life so difficult for aging adults. Maintaining independence is challenging when seniors aren’t able to see well or at all. Activities that require vision may no longer be possible for seniors with diabetic retinopathy. This can cause seniors to make choices like abandoning hobbies they love because they can no longer see.
Trouble Recognizing Faces
Even if seniors still have some vision, diabetic retinopathy can make it challenging for seniors to recognize faces. While this might not seem to be that big of an issue, it has serious implications in terms of social interactions and quality of life. Seniors who can’t recognize the people around them by sight may feel frustrated, isolated, and lonely.
Trouble with Depth Perception
Another big problem can be trouble with depth perception. That makes it difficult for seniors to engage in daily tasks like reaching for objects, navigating stairs, and simply walking. This increases fall risk and can cause seniors to stop moving around as much as they did in the past. From there, they can start to develop mobility problems, especially if they lose muscle tone as well.
Hindered Driving
When vision deteriorates too much, seniors can’t drive any longer. This can cause issues because seniors are no longer able to get around the way they did in the past. They can start to feel isolated and trapped. Home care providers can take over the task of handling transportation, making sure that seniors are still getting places, engaging with others, and living their lives to the best of their ability.
Seniors who are dealing with diabetic retinopathy face massive changes in their lives due to their vision challenges. Senior home care providers can help aging adults to deal with many of these challenges on a daily basis by making their lives a little bit easier. They can also help to make sure that aging adults are as safe as possible while they’re going about their daily activities.
IF YOU OR AN AGING LOVED ONE IS CONSIDERING HIRING SENIOR HOME CARE IN SANTA CLARA, CA, PLEASE CONTACT THE CARING STAFF AT HOME HELPERS TODAY. (408) 317-4969