Can Your Senior Do More to Protect Her Eyes?

March 11, 2021 by ·

Your senior’s eyes might be the one area of her body that she thinks she can’t do much about. But quite a bit of eye health is impacted by decisions that your elderly family member might make. Having a plan for protecting your senior’s eyes can help her to know what to do to maintain her vision for as long as she possibly can. 

Keep Other Health Issues Under Control

Senior Care in Saraland, AL: Protecting Your Senior’s Eyes

There are quite a few health conditions that can result in damage to your senior’s vision. High blood pressure and high blood sugar are two of the biggest culprits. Both damage the delicate structures in your senior’s eyes. Keeping blood pressure and blood sugar within normal ranges can help to protect her eyesight. Talk to your senior’s doctor about the best treatments for any health issues that she has and find out how they might affect other areas, such as her vision. 

Get Her Eyes Examined Regularly 

Regular eye exams allow your senior’s eye doctor to spot changes to how her eyes are functioning. Issues like glaucoma are far more treatable when they’re discovered earlier than when they’re discovered late. Getting in for those appointments, whether her doctor wants to see her every six months or every year, is crucial. 

Avoid Secondhand Smoke and Other Irritants 

Irritants do more damage to eyes than most people expect. Things like secondhand smoke can be problematic on multiple levels. Your elderly family member doesn’t benefit from breathing in secondhand smoke, of course, but if it gets in her eyes, that’s a problem too. Wind, sun, and other external irritants can also pose problems. Wearing protective eyewear outside can curb some of those issues. 

Address Dietary Changes 

When your senior is eating the healthiest diet that she can, every part of her body benefits including her eyes. Fruits and vegetables have lots of vitamins and other nutrients in them, including antioxidants. If your elderly family member’s current diet is more reliant on convenience and pre-packaged foods, she may not be getting all of the nutrients that she needs for eye health and for good health in general.  

Some of these changes might be more difficult for your senior than either of you expect. Having a helping hand from senior care providers to do things like making healthier meals and driving her to eye doctor appointments may be just what she needs to stay on track. 

 

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Care near Saraland, AL, contact Ashbury Manor Specialty Care and Assisted Living at 251-317-3017.

Filed Under: Protecting Your Senior's Eyes, Senior Care Saraland AL · Tagged: ,
About Cindy Johnson

Ashbury Manor’s Administrator since 2008, Cindy Johnson is a long-time expert in the assisted living field. Prior to her arrival at Ashbury Manor, Cindy managed acquisitions and crisis management for existing and new larger senior care project developments for eleven years. As regional manager for an Oregon-based assisted living management company, Cindy was directly responsible for operations for five 50-65 bed assisted living facilities. As manager during the transition to new ownership, Cindy reorganized internal operations and conducted leadership training for Executive Directors. As a result of her management and expertise, one of the company’s facilities (in Ocala, Florida) received a deficiency-free survey, resulting in the lifting of a moratorium on operation.

A nurse for 36 years, senior care has always been Cindy’s passion. Desiring to work more closely with residents, Cindy became a Category II Administrator in 2005. As Ashbury Manor’s Administrator, Cindy understands the complexities associated with dementia and cognitive impairment and she has fallen in love with seniors with dementia or cognitive impairment and their families.

Cindy is Treasurer of the local “Senior Coalition” chapter. She enjoys mentoring new candidates who want to become administrators.

As a 16-bed facility, with Cindy's training and experience, our residents and their families can be sure Ashbury Manor’s carefully selected staff provides the expertise of a larger facility while maintaining the individualized personal care of a small special needs home.
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