During Glaucoma Awareness Month, you should know that 90% of glaucoma cases are open-angle glaucoma. It’s incurable, but medications and treatments can protect your dad from losing his vision. The thing is, for them to work effectively, it has to be caught early. There are also no guarantees. He could still lose his vision.
There is also primary angle closure glaucoma that occurs suddenly and must be treated urgently with a surgical procedure to drain the fluid that’s pressing on the optic nerve. This type is known to have higher odds of causing blindness.
What if it’s your dad who is losing his vision? He’s going blind and his doctors say you need to start talking about his changing care needs. They’ve recommended your family sit down and talk about in-home care services for him. What will those services do to help him?
Companionship
Losing his vision is going to be stressful and isolating. Don’t let your dad stay by himself all day feeling miserable. A caregiver provides companionship and encouragement to stay active, even if it means finding new ways to do things.
Mobility
Walking around his home is going to be hard while your dad gets accustomed to his vision loss. A caregiver can guide him around his home, up and down the stairs, and in and out of the bathroom. If he needs someone to help him get in and out of the shower, that’s possible.
Speaking of showers, your dad will struggle to figure out what bottle he needs for shampoo, conditioner, or even body wash. His caregiver can help him find the right one and dispense the product if needed.
Housekeeping
One of the areas where your dad will need a lot of help is with housework. He’s not going to have clear enough vision to clean floors and surfaces well. Hire a caregiver to change the sheets on his bed, do the laundry, and clean the home.
His caregiver can also water plants, keep track of items he needs to buy, and compost foods that are past date or showing signs of mold or spoilage.
Transportation
Your dad cannot drive. When he needs to run errands, pick up prescription refills, or visit his doctor or dentist, he needs someone to drive him around. You can take off work, but you may not have enough personal time or vacation days.
An in-home care aide is able to drive him to the places he needs to go. You won’t have to keep taking days off to transport him.
As soon as you can, talk to a specialist about your dad’s care needs. You need to talk about his vision loss, what he can and cannot do independently now, and how often he needs help. An in-home care specialist will help you make the right arrangements.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering In-Home Care in Carthage, MO please contact the caring staff at Adelmo Family Care today at (417) 206-4576.
Sources:
https://glaucoma.org/learn-about-glaucoma/types-of-glaucoma
https://eyerounds.org/books/glaucoma_guide/chapter2.html
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