Nearly 4 million Americans suffer with low vision. 65% of those people are over the age of 65. People with low or diminished vision have difficulty with even simple tasks, such as reading bills, recognizing the person across the street, reading street signs or emailing their grandchildren on a keyboard with tiny letters. And while low vision can be challenging and inconvenient, it doesn’t have to make things impossible.
Understanding what causes low vision, seeking medical help, or simply buying a pair of cheater glasses, can make a world of difference in how you view things. Of course there are also a number of great products on the market for people struggling to see clearly. My grandfather has a magnifying glass always within reach. A good friend just snuck into Walgreens to find a pair of brightly colored reading glasses. (She has yet to wear them in public). Just yesterday while surfing the web I happened upon a great website for grandparents, called SeniorStore.com, chestercreek.com, and grandparents.com. Great sites, with many great products, like a large print weekly planner and a large print check register, or a large-key computer keyboard for staying in touch with family. These sites also offer great gift ideas for the grandchildren. And happily have the type size a bit larger than on most websites, or the option to enlarge the print size.
Just wandering around the mall you can find things like large-print telephones and gigantic T.V. remotes. There are talking watches and calculators, giant print books and large print clocks. Thankfully, more and more products are being developed to compensate for low vision or dexterity issues that come with age. Check out the abundance of recourses out there, or have a family member sit down with you. After all, you’re only old once!
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