Senior Care Stories

Submitted by Richard Hetzler

My mother wore bifocals as long as I can remember.  Macular degeneration set in one eye prior to her 90th birthday celebration, but the remaining eye let her fully enjoy her surroundings.  We were trying to monitor the good eye closely, because most sight can be restored if the retinal hemorrhage is caught and treated rapidly.  However, the onset was not caught, and she was left with very limited vision.

Mother always enjoyed reading, and after she became legally blind, I wanted to help her compensate for the vision loss.

I learned that the magnifiers available in most stores are useless toys for the visually impaired.  Excellent lighting and the proper level of magnification are essential, but that will take some experimentation. It’s always best to work with your parent’s eye care professional to determine the right combination. There are also many services, both online and in bricks and mortar settings, that offer helpful visual aids. We obtained magnifiers and a talking watch for my mother through one such outlet.