Caring for Someone With Glaucoma

Special optical devices called low-vision aids can help people better use their remaining vision and keep doing tasks and the things they enjoy.

Many low-vision aids are covered by health insurance. Some examples include:

• Customized magnifiers for reading, knitting, and other near tasks
• Computerized text-to-speech devices
• Handheld or spectacle-mounted telescopes for seeing objects in the distance

You can help your loved one by going with them to their next eye doctor visit. Take a notepad and pen or pencil to write the doctor’s recommendations.

You or the patient can ask the doctor which optical aids will benefit their needs most. The doctor may also suggest non-optical aids to help a person with low vision enjoy life more fully. Examples include:

• Audiobooks
• Large-print books
• Other large-print items such as playing cards, clocks, phones, and pill boxes
• Phone apps for people with low vision

You can help your loved one make adjustments at home that can improve visibility and reduce the risk of a fall. Suggestions include:

• Lighting: Make sure the home is well-lit, with high-wattage light bulbs and additional lamps or task lighting. The kitchen, bathroom, and work areas are important areas to focus on.
• Organization: Remove unnecessary household clutter. Offer to help organize and label important items.
• Contact information: Create a list of important phone numbers in large print on bold-lined paper. Include doctors, transportation, and emergency contacts, and put the list in a convenient place.
• Mobility: Use brightly colored tape to mark stairs or slopes. Eye-catching colors that contrast with the flooring work best.

Getting out of the house can help lift the spirits of a person with low vision. Offer to take your loved one to shop for groceries or run errands once a week.

Make a shopping list ahead of time and help them find items on the store shelves. Encourage the person to do as much of the shopping task as possible but stay nearby to help when needed.

Help the person with low vision find out about all available transportation services, including those provided by local churches and community groups. Encourage the person to ask questions and speak up if they are traveling alone and need assistance.

When walking with someone with impaired vision, try to walk a few steps ahead at a slow pace. This way, the person can anticipate the terrain based on your cues. Alert him or her to steps, curbs, and other potential problems you are approaching that might be difficult to see.

Learn as much as you can about the particular vision issues they have. For example, people with glaucoma usually have difficulty with side (peripheral) vision. Knowing these details helps you anticipate mobility problems when you’re out walking together.