In-Home Senior Care For Glaucoma Patients
Posted on: 12 January 2022
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Glaucoma can rob your senior loved one of their vision. In addition to vision loss, a type of glaucoma can cause significant symptoms such as severe headache and eye pain, nausea, and vomiting. The vision loss and symptoms may make it difficult to live independently, and because of this, you and your loved one should consider in-home senior care services. Here are some benefits of in-home senior care as it pertains to glaucoma patients.
Assistance With Eye Drops
Glaucoma causes elevated intraocular pressure, which refers to elevated pressure behind the eye. It is not associated with having high blood pressure and is almost always linked to glaucoma. The most common treatment for elevated intraocular pressure is the administration of beta-blocker eye drops.
If your loved one is unable to administer their eye drops, an in-home senior care provider can do it for them. The caregiver will make sure that the eye drops are given at their appropriate times and ensure that the tip of the bottle does not make contact with the eyeball, as this can cause an infection. The caregiver can also monitor the person for eye drop side effects.
Glaucoma eye drops can cause side effects such as eye irritation, redness, and dry eyes. If side effects do occur, the patient may become non-compliant with their treatment and refuse the eye drops. Also, if the aging adult develops adverse reactions to the eye drops, the in-home senior care services provider can tell the doctor who may prescribe a different type of eye drop that is less likely to cause irritation.
Glaucoma Symptom Monitoring
If your loved one has closed-angle glaucoma, the type of glaucoma that causes severe symptoms, then they may need symptom monitoring. If an increase in eye pain, sudden loss of vision, or vomiting occurs as a result of spiking eye pressure, the in-home senior care provider can intervene. They can notify the physician, provide comfort measures such as placing cool compresses over the painful eyes, and offer support, ice chips, and fluids for vomiting episodes. The in-home senior caregiver can also provide transportation for the individual if the physician recommends an office visit for a checkup.
If your loved one has glaucoma and needs help living independently, call an in-home senior care agency to learn about its services. Not only can senior in-home healthcare providers help elderly people with their medications and symptom monitoring, but they can also offer your loved one companionship and a better quality of life.