For an aging parent who might have chosen assisted living for their future, you may assume everything is fine, that they have everything they need. And yes, a quality assisted living facility will provide all their basic needs and may even help them schedule regular doctor visits, but one thing that can sometimes get overlooked or even ignored by elderly men and women are those regular eye care appointments. Some facilities do have physicians available as part of their elderly care treatment through the assisted living place.
How often should a person in their 70’s or 80’s visit an eye doctor?
First, that all depends on their history of vision related problems. For the most part, eye exams should be conducted at least annually, if not every other year. As a person approaches 80, the odds of developing cataracts or glaucoma increases, even to the point where it is almost a certainty that every senior who reaches 80 will have had at least one of these conditions already.
So, if your elderly mother, father, or other aging loved one is at assisted living, you will want to make sure you follow up with them and ensure that they are taking care of their health as they should.
Remember, staff and administrators at assisted living do not have access to all of a resident’s vital medical history, at least not all the time. If a resident doesn’t wish to disclose all this information, they may not know all of the details.
If you know that your aging mother had vision related problems previously or that her mother had glaucoma or cataracts when she was in her 70’s, you know there is an increased risk she will develop it as well. If she is not visiting her eye care professional as often as she should, this is something you should sit down and talk to her about.
Keeping an Eye on Vision Health and Appointments Should be Part of Elderly Care Services
Neither cataracts nor glaucoma nor macular degeneration nor any other serious vision related problem is something to be ignored. As people age, yes, there may be an increased risk of developing these vision challenges, but there are also amazing wonderful advances in technology and treatment that can make a world of difference, especially when diagnosed early.
Just because your elderly mother or another senior is enjoying life at assisted living and showing no signs or symptoms of vision challenges doesn’t mean they aren’t beginning. If a doctor or eye care professional has recommended visits every six months, make sure they follow up. If it’s every year, they should go. If it’s every two years, they should make an appointment.
Don’t just assume that they are going to take care of this, especially if they have a history of overlooking visits to the eye doctor.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering a move to an Assisted Living Facility for Elderly Care Services in Marietta GA please contact the caring staff at Woodland Ridge today. 770-431-7055
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