Alzheimer’s disease affects many areas of the brain, and because the brain is what deciphers what we see, it can often affect a person’s ability to see clearly and accurately as well. While there may not be anything specifically wrong with how their eyes are functioning, Alzheimer’s disease can affect how images are processed and create confusion for your senior over what they are seeing and how to interpret it. An Alzheimer’s home care provider can help your loved one navigate their home safely.
Four Ways Sight Can Be Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease
Most of these effects will not be felt by your elderly loved one until the disease progresses, but some can come on fairly suddenly, so it’s good to be aware of them and watch for them in how your loved one navigates her environment. If her sight does become affected, you’ll want to make accommodations to keep her safe in her home and consider hiring Alzheimer’s home care providers.
An inability to differentiate between contrasts and color. Your loved one may lose the ability to process different colors and textures, so she might not notice if there is a rug on the floor or if there is a door that is the same color as the wall. It can be hard for her to see and interpret white on white (such as in a bathroom) or dark letters on a dark background.
She may lose her ability to interpret some of her peripheral views. These are the areas around the sides of the line of sight. She might not notice movement coming her way (like a dog walking in front of her), or she might not be able to see clearly an object on the table that is to her left or right.
Depth perception may become harder to distinguish. Your loved one might struggle to determine how far away something is or what dimension it has. A two-dimensional object like a painting may look three-dimensional to her. She can also struggle with trying to walk up or down stairs if she cannot recognize the depth of each stair or know where they begin or end.
Glare can become confusing. The sun reflecting off a window pane, a mirror at the end of a hallway, or even a shiny floor can all confuse your loved one and make it hard for her to interpret her surroundings correctly. She might become startled by an image in a mirror or a reflection on some shiny metal.
Keeping Your Loved One Safe in Your Home with Alzheimer’s Home Care
You might discover you’ll need to make some changes around the home if your loved one is struggling with sight issues. It can help to cover anything that causes her confusion, like mirrors or windows. You might also put notes around the home with dark letters on white paper to help her know what each thing she sees is (you can write “This is a Door” or “These are the Stairs”}
For any extended movement, your loved one may need an arm to hold onto or someone to guide her. With the help of an Alzheimer’s home care provider, your loved one will reduce the risk of her falling or going somewhere she shouldn’t.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Alzheimer’s Home Care Services in Laguna Beach, CA, please call the caring staff at Canaan Home Care today! 1-844-CANAAN-1 (1-844-226-2261)
Canaan Home Care – A Premier Provider of Senior Home Care in the La Jolla, Del Mar, San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Tustin, and Manhattan Beach areas.
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