Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness throughout the United States. This disease is responsible for approximately 9 to 12 percent of all cases of blindness in the country, and it has no cure. As a family caregiver, you can help your parent to preserve their vision and protect their eye health by recognizing any particular risk factors that they have, and taking steps to help prevent this disease from impacting them during their later years.

Some things that you can do to help prevent glaucoma include:

• Make sure that you know your parent’s family health history. Family history of diagnosis with glaucoma is a risk factor for developing the eye disease. If you know that a member of your parents family, particularly a parent, child, or sibling, was diagnosed with glaucoma, you can bring it to the attention of your parents doctor and increase vigilance of detecting early signs of the disease.
• Encourage them to get their eyes checked regularly. Comprehensive exams are the only way to detect glaucoma. Early detection is key to making sure that your parent has the most treatment options and that treatment and management techniques are as beneficial and effective as possible. The frequency of your parents eye exams depend on several factors, including their age, any other health problems that they might have, any other eye conditions or diseases that they experienced, and the risk factors for glaucoma that they have. Talk to their eye doctor to set up a schedule of comprehensive eye exams that will help to keep your parent aware of their eye health and to best detect the early signs of glaucoma.
• Encourage your parents to engage in regular physical activity. Exercising regularly helps to reduce the pressure in the eyes, which reduces the risk that they will develop glaucoma. Make sure that you talk to your parents doctor and eye doctor about forms of exercise that are healthy for your parent, and safe for any medical conditions or issues that they might suffer.
• Support your parents in medication compliance. If your parent has been diagnosed with any form of eye issue and prescribed medications, particularly eye drops, make sure that they use them as prescribed. This will give them the most benefit from the medications and help to reduce the risk of future health issues.

If your aging parent is suffering from health challenges, personal care needs, or limitations that keep them from living their fullest, most fulfilling lifestyle, starting elderly care for them may be the ideal way to address these needs. An elderly home care services provider can be with your parent on a customized schedule to ensure that they receive everything that they need to to manage their issues in the way that is right for them, and support a lifestyle that is independent, active, engaged, and fulfilling. Through a set of personalized services tailored specifically to them, this care provider will encourage your parent to stay healthy, safe, comfortable, and happy as they age in place. As their family caregiver this can give you tremendous peace of mind knowing that they are in good hands both when you are with them and when you are not.
https://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/glaucoma-facts-and-stats.php

If you or an aging loved one are considering elderly care in Cinco Ranch, TX, please call the caring staff at At Your Side Home Care. We will answer all of your senior care questions. Call today: (832) 271-1600.

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Donna Wrabel, LMSW

Co-Owner at At Your Side Home Care

For most of us, the word "home" evokes warm feelings of comfort, security and well-being. For older adults, home also means holding tight to cherished memories and maintaining self-esteem and independence. When illness, injury or age make life a little more challenging, remaining at home in a comfortable, familiar environment encourages recovery and enhances the quality of life. Home can be defined as a private residence, an independent or assisted living facility or even a short term stay in the hospital, we recognize the additional benefits provided by a personal, professional assistant.

Our Certified Nurse Aides, 24-Hour Live-in Assistants and Home Health Aides are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also provide the security and confidence of 24-hour Telephone Assistance, so fast, reliable help is always available when it's needed. To learn more about our homecare services see our homecare services page.

Different people need different levels of homecare. To meet the requirements of our clients, At Your Side Homecare maintains consistent staffing levels of caring professionals. Homecare service is available for as little as a few hours a week, or as many as 24 hours a day, seven days a week

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