Your home is where you should feel safest and most comfortable. However, vision problems can affect your ability to live independently and to feel safe in your own home.
Fortunately, some simple home improvement projects can help you stay in control of your living environment and safely go about normal activities like bathing, cooking and cleaning. In this post, your leading provider of optical care, Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic shares some home improvement tips for visually impaired patients.
Lighting and Glare
With suitable lighting, you can continue your daily activities with little to no assistance. Ensure consistent lighting to eliminate shadows and glares. Use stronger light bulbs or three-way light bulbs that provide non-glare lighting and strategically place lamps on your working areas. Make sure that light switches are accessible.
Install lighting in your frequently used closets. Place special lights on the stairways and night light in the bedroom, bathroom and hallway to prevent accidents.
Reduce glare as this is uncomfortable if you have low vision. Glare can come from sunlight or a lamp and cause difficulty seeing shiny surfaces like polished tabletops, floors and even TV screens. To help reduce glare in your home, use mini blinds during the day and avoid waxing the floor. Place your television away from the sun or a lamp so the light doesn’t hit the screen.
Hazards
Always be organized and make sure that the floor is clear of things you could trip over like shoes, clothes and books. Put away an item as soon as you’re done using it for safety.
Arrange items according to their use. Place things that are used together in the same container or shelf. Label containers with self-adhesive labels and a broad-tipped black marker.
It is also helpful to mark edges of the doors and cabinets with colored fluorescent tape for safety and as an indication that they are opened. Consult a reliable optometrist who doesn’t only provide expert care, but can also give advice and tips on the safety of your living conditions, like Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic.
Color Contrast
Creating contrast helps you see differences between light and dark areas and helps make objects appear more visible. Place light-colored items against a dark background. For example, you should install door knobs that contrast with the colors of your doors. Also avoid choosing furniture with patterns like stripes, plaids and checks as they can be visually confusing.
Consult your eye doctor at Alderwood Optical & Canyon Park Vision Clinic for customized optical care. Talk to us about your vision concerns. Call us at (425) 771-8472 or request an appointment online. We help patients in Bothell, WA.