Caring for Someone With Macular Degeneration
Living and learning to cope with low vision can be difficult. Caregivers are there to help their loved ones navigate their new normal. Continue reading for information and resources about caring for someone with macular degeneration.
Becoming a Caregiver
When a loved one is visually impaired, family and friends may not be sure what type of assistance is needed or desired. Start by asking your loved one how you can help. Open communication from the start of the diagnosis can help caregivers understand their loved ones' needs, and help the loved one keep a semblance of their independence.
Ways to Help
Participate in Caregiver Training
Training helps family caregivers properly care for someone with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. It could include learning more about the disease, managing changes in behavior, home safety tips, medication management, financial and legal issues, and more.
Ensure Your Loved One's Home Is Safe
Adapting the home and ensuring it is safe includes ensuring that clutter is minimized, lighting is bright, and that surfaces in the home have enough contrast to be easily seen by those affected by macular degeneration. Read more tips on creating safe spaces at home.
Run Errands and Help With Grocery Shopping
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 him or her 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 Your Loved One Make and Attend Their Appointments
You can help your loved one by going with them to their next visit to the eye doctor. Take a notepad and pen or pencil to write the doctor’s recommendations.
Provide Meals and Assist with Home Maintenance
Preparing nutritious meals and helping with routine home maintenance can significantly ease daily life for those with macular degeneration. These tasks not only reduce physical strain but also create a safe and comfortable living environment, fostering a sense of independence and well-being.
Assist Them at Social Activities and Outings
Accompanying your loved one to social events and outings helps them stay socially active and emotionally fulfilled. Your support can make navigating public spaces easier and more enjoyable, enhancing their confidence and overall quality of life.
Emotional Effect on Caregivers
Spousal caregivers are often strongly affected by a diagnosis of macular degeneration as they process the profound changes their future holds:
- Spouses often have their own health problems.
- Husbands and wives often must reverse roles and take on unfamiliar tasks.
- Depending on a couple’s relationship, macular degeneration can bring them closer together, or it can alienate them.
- Spouses must accept that the person they have known and loved may change dramatically in personality and behavior as they learn to navigate their new normal.
- Adult children, in some cases, also have to adjust to the role reversal in caring for their parent. They may feel overwhelmed by the other responsibilities in their lives, such as working within or outside the home and caring for their children.
For any caregiver, action following a macular degeneration diagnosis is critical. The primary next steps are finding acceptance, activating your support network, gathering information, and planning for the road ahead.
Discover More Tips From Macular Degeneration Caregivers
Hear Joanne Dillon, a caregiver, and C. Grace Whiting, the President & CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving, answer live questions and offer valuable perspectives on caregiving for macular degeneration.
Find Support
Caring for a loved one with macular degeneration can be rewarding but also challenging. Find out about helpful organizations that support caregivers.
Resources
Recent Resources & Information
Macular Chats
Wet AMD Treatments: Updates, Challenges, and Future Innovations
Join us for an in-depth discussion on the latest developments in wet age-related macular degeneration treatment.
Macular Chats
Adapting to Life with Low Vision
Learn about practical tips for maintaining quality of life with low vision.
Expert Information
Top 5 Expert Answers About Stargardt Disease
Explore key facts about Stargardt disease, a rare form of juvenile macular degeneration, with expert insights from a retina specialist.
Macular Chats
Taking Charge of Your Geographic Atrophy
Hear from guest expert Dr. Veeral Sheth about the latest treatments and research breakthroughs for geographic atrophy, and what you can do to protect your vision.
Macular Chats
Understanding Stargardt Disease
Join us for an in-depth discussion on Stargardt disease, a rare inherited form of juvenile macular degeneration that affects about 1 in 10,000 children and young adults. Learn about the latest in diagnosis, genetic testing, and promising treatments.
Macular Chats
Promising Studies Funded by Macular Degeneration Research
Explore groundbreaking macular degeneration research. Learn about research aimed at earlier detection, prevention, and ultimately a cure.