My husband is 75 and was diagnosed 5 years ago. He is very social and jokes a lot but has limited short term memory and has difficulty reading. He can’t remember how to sign his name. I’m afraid he won’t be able to take a vision test. Also his cataracts may be ready to be removed. It’s been 2 years since his last test. How do I handle it if he had cataract surgery? I don’t think he will stop touching his eyes. As an example, he keeps removing his hearing aids and last week he put one down the garbage disposal and it got ground up. I think he had it on his plate and when he went to wash the dish he washed the hearing aid down the drain. He had no knowledge or memory that he did it. Thanks for any suggestions about vision.
I cannot speak much to the cataract surgery, as I never had to deal with that, other than to say, that I would perhaps put that off as long as possible, and maybe just keep getting him stronger glasses, as his eyes get worse. I wish you the best.
My mom had a post-cataract surgery vision problem which was only corrected through much effort and a Lasik surgery and because she could accurately communicate what was going on. I think you need to get advice from someone who's actually gone through this surgery with an LO with ALZ, as well as the surgeon. I hope you get much helpful info on this topic.
she does not wear her glasses , or her dentures, or her hearing aids!
She is in a nursing home ,content & happy see sees well without her
glasses,— she can hear if you talk loud & still does not wear her dentures
She does not know me anymore ,she is on puréed foods ,does not walk
& is in a wheelchair!My sister is 76 years old! Alzheimer’s robbed her of
her hearing ,eating & walking!It is a terrible disease to have!
The nursing home takes very good care of her—I could never be able to care for her!
Up until mom's stroke, I kept up her Mac Deg treatments, every 4 months (she'd been doing this for many years before dementia, so it wasn't totally foreign to her.) The only real vision exams were done as part of the "treatment" - it was hard getting through some of it, due to hearing issues and dementia, but not too bad.
At his stage and condition, it might not be worth doing the cataract surgery. I know that my ophthalmologist told me I would need it done in about 10 years (maybe 5 years ago?) So far it only impacts driving at night, esp in the rain on dark roads, worst with on-coming traffic! So now I try to avoid driving far at night. I didn't want to get it done in case my mother needed me for anything.
Since it's not likely he is driving and distance vision isn't as important, it may be best not to put him through that. He may not grasp what they're doing, get restless mid-surgery, and will definitely be a problem post surgery. DO get all the exams done and see what options there are for helping his vision for now.
I'm not looking forward to it myself... It will be nice if they can correct my close vision - I don't drive as much now, so only having to need distance glasses will be nice!
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