Vision Solutions
Almost everyone experiences some vision changes by the time they reach age 50. Newspaper print looks too tiny and rooms don't seem bright enough. As we get older, our eye lenses become less flexible and most of us need reading glasses to see small print up close and more light to see better.
Some people have uncorrectable "low vision" caused by eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration or diabetes. People with low vision have trouble reading, may be unable to distinguish certain colors and often can't see low furniture or a slightly raised surface like a door threshold.
The following solutions can make any home a little brighter and easier to navigate.
Vision: Design and Other Ideas
Lighting
- Provide sufficient, even lighting throughout the house.
- Increase the amount of natural light: Open the blinds and curtains, raise shades, and move large items away from the windows.
- Add lighting to eliminate dark or shadowy areas and improve visibility where there may be safety hazards such as over the bathtub or shower and in stairways.
- Choose light-colored wall coverings, work surfaces and counters to better reflect available light.
- Control glare throughout the home by selecting matte-finish paint, wallpaper, counter tops and other surface materials.
Color
- Choose colors that are easily differentiated from one another. For example, use "warm" colors from the red-orange family against "cool" colors such as blue or green.
- To help objects stand out from their backgrounds and to distinguish between levels, furnishings, and potential safety hazards, use the "contrast principle" where the object you want people to see contrasts with its background. For example, choose the colors of draperies, upholstery, furniture, cabinets and light switches to contrast with their backgrounds.
- To help signal a change in elevation between adjacent rooms, use flooring that's in strong-contrasting colors. If the floors are the same level, use the same or similar intensities of floor colors.
- Choose a counter top color that contrasts with the color of the floor beneath to enable the counter's edge to be easily seen.
Vision: Products
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Install a cordless, battery-operated light or use a cordless floor lamp wherever additional lighting is needed and no electrical outlets are available, such as in closets or cabi¬nets, at your chair for reading, or above a desk or table.
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Use a handy sound-activated mini-light that snaps onto your house key to illuminate a dark keyhole. The key light yields a bright beam of light for an added measure of safety and convenience.
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A magnifying medicine cap remover, called a Medi-Cap, can be handy when taking medications. The 4x magnifier makes reading labels easier, while the design of the Medi-Cap facilitates the removal of pill bottle tops.
- Utilize "talking" products to provide important audible information for those with low vision on products such as: coffee maker, microwave, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, calendar, and weather forecaster.
Home Checklist
Use this handy room-by-room checklist to identify ways to improve the comfort, convenience and safety of your home or that of your loved one.
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