Losing your sight and getting used to it affects not only the person who is blind or has low vision but also everyone in their life. It affects safety, daily living on one’s own, managing medications, getting around, and pretty much every other part of life.
Understanding Vision Loss as a Family, you need to make sure that you have good coping skills and the ability to live on your own. It is important to include and acknowledge loved ones in the process of adjusting and recovering.
Check for Signs of Vision Loss in a Loved One
Some eye diseases, like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy, make it harder to see in different ways and may only affect a few parts of a person’s life at first. It can be very confusing because someone with one of these conditions might not have any trouble with one task but have a terrible time with another.
The kind of eye problem and how bad it is are the only things that matter. A person with macular degeneration might not be able to tell a family member apart, but they might be able to pick up a safety pin from the ground. This is because the condition makes it hard to see in the middle of the eye.
It is important to remember, though, that losing your sight is not a normal part of getting older, even though your eyes age at the same rate as your body.
If your loved one often can’t find things like the TV remote, phone, or other things that get dropped, bumping into people or things, spilling drinks when pouring or knocking over cups, having trouble reading or seeing photos clearly, or having trouble recognising people they know, these could all be signs that they need to see an ophthalmologist.
It’s crucial to rule out the possibility that vision loss is the cause of these diseases or age-related issues. As most eye diseases get worse, vision gets worse over time, making it even harder to do things. If someone is diagnosed early, they may be able to get treatment that keeps their vision longer and helps them develop important coping skills and resources.
Impact on Everyday Functioning
We can work together to figure out how the eye disease or condition will affect your freedom and safety once you know what it is. People with visual impairments, even those who are completely blind, can learn how to live on their own, cook, clean, use a computer and phone, travel, and work. Help is available.
Understand the Emotional Impact
Finding out you’ve lost your sight is a very sad event in your life, and most people go through a grieving process that includes everything that goes along with it. But the person’s loved ones should also be aware of the loss they feel because of the diagnosis.
Nobody wants to feel like they’re a “burden” on the people they care about. Even when they get older, most people still want to be independent, self-sufficient, and useful. It can be discouraging, frustrating, and sad to have to depend on, ask for help from, or even feel reliant upon family to do things you’ve been doing on your own for years.
This is likely to happen to a loved one who feels like they have to “take care of” a loved one who is blind or has low vision. Talking about these feelings and coming up with new ways to deal with things is an important part of getting used to and enjoying life after losing your sight. In this case, vision rehabilitation services can make all the difference.
Learn about the everyday functional implications
Vision problems are very different. Understanding what someone can and can’t see and how that affects their daily life can be very helpful. Asking is the only way to get this. However, it’s essential to ask in a way that shows you care and want to completely understand.
Also, keep in mind that your vision can change every day and even every minute. It depends on how someone feels physically, how much rest they have, if they are sick, and the lighting. Yes, it can be very hard to understand. You may be shocked if someone you care about can’t see something else. For them, it’s just as scary.
The eye and visual system are very sensitive, and it can be hard to understand what vision is and how to lose it. So, all you have to do is ask, take the information you’re given, and go from there. People who are losing their sight may need more help at first or as they lose more, but look for chances to step back and promote independence and self-advocacy.
Provide Appropriate Assistance
When someone they care about is having a hard time, everyone wants to help. The person’s safety is the most important thing to them. At times, this means creating a place where people are dependent on each other.
Early on, a person with vision loss probably needs more help. But as they get used to living with their condition and learn how to deal with it, they should need less help and be encouraged to be more independent.
Finding the safe and independent parts of a task that a person who has lost their sight can do on their own is an important part of adjusting and coping with continuing to live on your own after losing your sight. It is just as important to find the parts that need help and support. A person who is blind or has low vision may find it hard to do many things, especially if they don’t have the right training or tools.
So, it’s just as important to find out where help is needed as it is to find out where it is not needed. Even though the loved one wants the person to be independent, they know that help will still be needed and appreciated in some areas. and help the person who is blind or has low vision become more independent, changing the relationship from dependence to interdependence.