If your senior parent has Alzheimer’s, they may not be able to tell you if they are experiencing a change in vision or hearing. Having Alzheimer’s care for a senior parent with Alzheimer’s is very helpful because an Alzheimer’s care provider that spend a lot of time with your senior parent can be looking for signs that your senior parent is having trouble seeing even if your senior parent can’t verbalize that they are having trouble. Some of the signs you may notice that your senior loved one is having trouble seeing and needs to get their eyes checked are:
Shuffling Their Feet
If your senior parent can’t see clearly where they are going or they can’t see if there are any obstructions in their path, they may start shuffling their feet when they walk and not really picking up their feet all the way to take proper steps. This is a protection device so that they can feel out any obstructions or steps in their way that they can’t see.
Using Their Hands More When They Are Walking
Another sign that your senior parent may be having trouble seeing where they are walking is if they use their hands to grip the walls or furniture as they are walking to gauge the space in front of them. Seniors who can’t see the demarcation of a wall often will touch the walls as they walk to orient themselves in the space. One way that you can make it easier for them to see the walls is to paint each wall a different bright color so that your senior parent can see the contrast between the walls.
Gripping Things With Both Hands
If your notice that your senior parent is picking up drinking glasses with two hands very carefully, or touching their plate when they are trying to eat, or using both hands to grip a toothbrush they may not be able to see the items that they are trying to pick up or hold. By picking them up with both hands they are getting a sense of the size and shape of the item with their hands because they can’t see it clearly. This is a very obvious sign that your senior parent with Alzheimer’s is having vision problems.
Asking Where Their Glasses Are Even If They Don’t Have Glasses
Has your senior parent asked you where their glasses are or said that they can’t find their glasses even though they don’t wear glasses? That’s an indirect way of saying that they are having trouble seeing and may need glasses. They think they already have glasses because they are having trouble seeing. If your senior loved one says anything to you about having glasses or having lost their glasses you should schedule an eye exam for them to make sure that they are not having any vision changes. If they do have vision loss and need glasses make sure that you get multiple pairs in case they lose them.
