Caring for people with dementia and vision loss

Loss of sight is common as we age, but what happens when someone with dementia is also losing their vision? This can be a challenging time not only for the person diagnosed with the disease but also for any family involved. 

We provide dementia care in Chadwell Health, Romford to support those living with dementia, helping them manage accompanying difficulties such as vision loss. Read on to learn more about how our sensitive dementia care services can help. 

Understanding dementia 

Dementia is a life-changing condition that is not considered a normal part of ageing. The progressive disease is caused by abnormal changes in the brain that eventually lead to a decline in cognitive function. To illustrate, a person diagnosed with dementia may have trouble remembering, thinking and communicating. This can affect how they act, potentially even causing them to experience significant changes in mood, behaviour and judgement. All of these factors can impede their independence and affect their ability to perform everyday tasks or activities, even compromising their safety in and around the home. For example, a person with dementia may forget to turn off the stove, frequently lose their belongings, forget important appointments, or wander to the point of getting lost in familiar neighbourhoods. 

Dementia of and vision loss

Statistics show that sight loss affects approximately 225,000 people with dementia in the UK. Vision difficulties can be caused by dementia itself, an eye condition like cataracts, a health condition such as a stroke or perhaps even just the normal ageing of the eye. That said, loss of sight may also occur because dementia affects the part of the brain that handles visual information coming from the eyes. So a person with dementia may experience visual difficulties while having completely healthy eyes. It can sometimes be difficult to tell dementia and sight loss apart because one condition may mask the other. 

Symptoms dementia and vision loss

Dementia and sight loss combined can have a significant effect on daily life and a person’s ability to live well at home. For example, a person experiencing dementia as well as vision loss may have difficulty recognising people, finding things, avoiding obstacles or hazards, reading, coping with bright or low light and locating food on their plate. These challenges can lead to behavioural changes. A person with dementia reacting to sight loss may fall or trip more often. They may feel confused or disoriented in familiar places. Perhaps they are startled by noises or become withdrawn or uncommunicative. They may also experience visual hallucinations. 

Our trusted dementia care services

We provide trusted dementia care to support people living with dementia to manage symptoms like sight loss. Not only are we members of Dementia Friends and the Alzheimer’s Society, our team also undertakes specialist training to gain a better understanding of how to support you or your loved one. In addition, we have a dedicated sensory room for our residents with dementia to relax in, as well as activities that are specially designed to support those living with the condition.

Get in touch 
If you or a loved one are dealing with dementia and vision loss, our home away from home is here to welcome you and support your needs with respect and sensitivity. Please feel free to get in touch or give us a call on either 0800 999 8499 or 0208 597 4175 with any of your questions or concerns. Our knowledgeable staff would be more than happy to provide more information on how we can help.