Elderly Adults Benefit from National Eye Exam Month

Regular eye exams are an important part of keeping elderly adults healthy and safe. Because August is National Eye Exam Month, it’s an excellent time for family caregivers to check whether their elderly loved one is due for an examination by a professional.

National Eye Exam Month is an awareness campaign dedicated to promoting the value of regular exams, because many eye diseases are nearly impossible to detect just by casual observation. Elderly adults are particularly vulnerable to certain eye diseases, and early diagnosis can make a big impact on treatment success.

Elderly Adults and Eye Diseases

Family caregivers should take every opportunity to ensure their aging loved one is maintaining good eye health and the best vision possible. After age 65, elderly adults have a much higher risk of certain eye diseases and vision problems, including:

Elderly Care Lexington NC – Elderly Adults Benefit from National Eye Exam Month

• Dry eye
• Presbyopia
• Detached retina
• Blocked tear ducts
• Chronic conjunctivitis
• Macular degeneration
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Corneal disease
• Glaucoma
• Cataracts

Because early symptoms of many of these conditions are not detectable by the elderly adult, the only way to know if they are present is via a thorough eye exam. As these diseases progress, the eye doctor can work out treatment programs. However, many elderly adults will require in-home care services as their vision is negatively affected.

Elderly Care Providers and Vision-Impaired Seniors

Even with early treatment, there will come a time where the elderly adult is negatively affected by eye pain and vision issues. Many of these eye diseases result in vision loss or blindness. In that case, there will likely be many daily tasks that they will struggle to do. Poor vision is also a safety hazard as seniors are more likely to experience a slip and fall accident. Hiring an elderly care provider is an excellent way to ensure that an aging relative has the professional assistance they need for important tasks like bathing, dressing, hygiene, cooking, housekeeping and getting around safely.

Many eye diseases need continual treatment to keep them in check and prevent them from progressing too fast. Elderly care providers can remind seniors to take medicine or do eye drops on time and keep track for family caregivers. Elderly care providers can also help transport the elderly adult to their regular eye appointments when they cannot drive themselves. Finally, elderly care providers can be there with the aging adult throughout the day to watch for tripping hazards, help them around the house and alleviate a lot of the struggles that they may face with poor vision.

Family caregivers certainly need to take advantage of National Eye Exam Month and arrange for their elderly relative to get checked out. It’s never a good idea for seniors to skip over an annual eye exam just because it doesn’t seem like anything is wrong. During National Eye Vision Month and beyond, elderly adults can receive consistent and thorough vision care.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Elderly Care Services in Lexington NC, please contact the caring staff at TenderHearted Home Care today. (704) 612-4132.