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No two persons age the same. Some will have vision and/or hearing
losses while others might suffer from decreased physical abilities. Some
of these conditions are described below, along with suggestions that can
help compensate for physical and functional limitations.
Vision Loss
Older people have a higher rate of blindness than
any other age group. Among those 85 years and older, one of 20 persons is
legally blind. Changes in vision accelerate after age 50 and in crease in
severity after age 65. It can become more difficult for older persons to
see objects clearly. The lens of the eye can become opaque and yellow,
affecting its ability to discern closely related colors, especially in the
blue-green end of the color spectrum.
It takes longer for an older person's eyes to change focus from an
object close at hand to another farther away. And it takes longer for them
to focus when they move from light to dark areas or vice versa. During
these intervals, they may not be able to see hazards such as steps or
furniture.
Fortunately, visual impairments and blindness are not always the
severely handicapping conditions they are commonly imagined to be.
Visually-impaired people can adapt successfully to most environmental
circumstances, especially familiar spaces such as their own homes.
If you or members of your household are visually impaired:
- Clearly mark (with white or reflecting tape) hazardous changes in
floor levels.
- Position furniture away from areas where you walk or move about most
often.
- Adjust the illumination throughout your home. Use higher wattage
light bulbs where appropriate. Distribute the light evenly and avoid
using shiny surfaces, to help minimize glare.
- Become aware of your home's color scheme. Yellow-oranges and reds
are more easily distinguished by older adults.
- Avoid using closely related colors together. Instead, use
contrasting colors between places like doorways and walls, dishes and
tablecloths, and the risers and flat surfaces of steps.
- Keep a consistent light level in both bedrooms and hallways and
remember to use night lights.
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is the most common disability
among older persons. As people age, they generally lose inner ear bone
conductivity and/or nerve sensitivity. Hearing ability, especially in the
higher frequencies, declines gradually. Background noises interfere with
ability to hear a normal conversation, and people with hearing loss may be
considered inattentive and withdraw from social participation.
A profoundly deaf person often cannot use telephones and often must
travel to relay messages. Teletypewriters (TTYS) can greatly increase
communication between hearing-impaired people, their families and friends.
These machines type out telephone messages that can be picked up by
another similar machine. People with less dramatic hearing loss can use
amplified handsets or have an extension bell installed on their telephone.
Appropriate emergency communication systems are critical for deaf
people. Audible warning signals should be accompanied by visual warning
systems or vibration devices. To insure your own comfort and safety:
- For easier communication, it is helpful to be in the quietest corner
of a room or in a side room away from group noises.
- Position yourself where you can easily hear a conversation.
- Carpet the floors and put curtains in the windows, to reduce sharp
noises and distracting echoes.
- If necessary, purchase special electronic devices such as hearing
aids, vibrating alarm clocks, and an amplified TV set or flashing lights
to announce information and warnings.
- Contact your telephone company for amplified handsets, signal
devices, TTYs and extension bells. Ask for their special needs
department.
Hand Limitations
Arthritis is a common disability among older
persons. This malady can cause painful degeneration of the joints, and
severely restrict mobility. For people with arthritis or other
dexterity-limiting conditions, operating controls and switches, gripping
objects such as door knobs, and using tools are the chief problems.
If arthritis affects anyone in your household, you may want to install
large levertype controls on faucets, door latches, and appliance knobs.
You can easily modify an existing knob control by fitting a rubber
furniture leg tip over the control and inserting a small wooden dowel
through it to create a lever arm. To determine whether or not a control
can be used by a person with a dexterity problem, try the following "rule
of thumb":
If an able-bodied person can operate the control with his or her fist
closed, then almost anyone, regardless of hand disability, will be able to
operate the control.
Range of Reach 
A person in a chair or wheelchair is limited to
a maximum side reach of 54" and a maximum frontal reach of 48". The lowest
easy reach from a seated position is approximately 9" to the side and 12"
to the front.
A standing person has a very different range of reach. When you
undertake any home changes, remember to consider these differences.
Frailty, Disorientation and Dizziness
Many older persons
experience occasional dizziness, but a chronic condition resulting in
disorientation, constant dizziness or frailty can cause familiar
environments to become hostile. If a member of your household displays any
of these symptoms, try to make your home as safe and easily-perceived as
possible. The following suggestions might prove helpful:
- Use furnishings that are stable and without sharp corners to
minimize the effects of a fall.
- Make the environment safe by removing scatter rugs, sharp objects
and clutter but keep the layout of familiar furniture and pathways the
same.
- You may also want to consider placing barriers at dangerous
locations to prevent unstable or disoriented members of your household
from inadvertently falling down stairs or entering unfamiliar rooms
where hazards are present.
Mobility Impairments
Walking from one place to another and
going up and down steps can be extremely difficult for people with limited
mobility. For those with heart disorders, these activities can be
particularly hazardous.
You can overcome these problems by relocating bedrooms or living spaces
onto the same level, by establishing convenient storage areas, and by
removing hazards on paths between commonly used rooms in your home. Try to
conserve energy by climbing stairs only when necessary and by storing
frequently used household items where they can be retrieved with a minimum
of bending, reaching, lifting, and carrying.
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