Home » Blog » How to Care for a Loved One Who is Living With Cataracts

Posted by: Georgia Eye Associates in Cataracts

Cataracts are a common problem for many elderly patients. Cataracts form when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and vision is progressively impaired.

For seniors, living with cataracts can cause a number of challenges. They may have difficulty driving, reading, and performing everyday tasks that used to be easy. This means many seniors will have to rely on their loved ones to help them out during this time.

Being a caregiver is no walk in the park either. Loved ones are tasked with the unique challenge of caring for someone else while still trying to meet their own needs.

Here are a few tips on how to care for a loved one who is living with cataracts:

Help them find ways to limit their driving

Driving can be quite dangerous for most cataracts patients, especially at night. For that reason, you should help your senior loved one find ways to avoid it.

There are simple ways to do this so you don’t have to turn into a full-time taxi service. You can set up mail-order prescriptions and schedule their groceries to be delivered on a weekly basis. And if there are errands that require driving, you can designate one day a month to knock them all out at once.

Make sure they attend their yearly medical and vision exams

Did you know that cataracts are often a side effect of another illness? For example, using steroids for long periods of time can cause cataracts. For that reason, you should make sure your senior loved one is up-to-date on their medical and vision exams.

Encourage them to stay as healthy as possible

Encourage your loved one to eat healthily, get exercise, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Doing this will help them feel better and avoid other vision or health problems in the future.

Find out if cataract surgery is a possibility

Ultimately, cataract surgery is the best option for seniors looking to improve their vision. Find out if this is an option and talk to them about some of the benefits. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to schedule an appointment with one of our doctors.