My Mum has vascular Dementia, and every time she has had new glasses in the past she complains she still cant see. She is now saying her glasses are once again "no good " and she cant see. She has no short term memory, and I am worried if I arrange for an eye test at home or in a shop, firstly she will not understand the questions she is asked, she hates questions and gets agitated and upset. And also that she will not be able to state which lens is best, as she will not remember from one minute to the next. So I wondered if anyone can give me any advice, firstly about if its best to go to the shop, where she may get more confused, or have a home visit? How will we get her to understand the questions and check which lens will be best for her? I feel like we are going around in circles, and never fixing the problem. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Eye Test for new glasses
- Thread starter happycat
- Start date
Hi happycat (love the name!). My mum also has VD but is still able to answer questions. However, I would say a home visit would be better - Mum has one booked next Monday - as she gets annoyed with the noise in a shop (she can't hear either), people moving around, plus the journey to & from the shop. She was much more relaxed when she had a home visit a year ago, and the guys that came were absolutely wonderful. We had a good laugh with them. I have no helpful advice with regard to choosing the lens I'm afraid. Good luck. CW
If going to the shop is going to distress more than a home visit a home visit is probably best.
If the person being tested cannot understand instructions, read, or recognise letters the system used with young children can be used. Essentially instead of asking the person when something is in focus the optician looks at an image projected onto the back of the eye. Tests for any problems other than focusing can also be made. The person has to be able to keep their head reasonably still.
However good any new glasses are they still may be judged as 'no good'.
If the person being tested cannot understand instructions, read, or recognise letters the system used with young children can be used. Essentially instead of asking the person when something is in focus the optician looks at an image projected onto the back of the eye. Tests for any problems other than focusing can also be made. The person has to be able to keep their head reasonably still.
However good any new glasses are they still may be judged as 'no good'.
thanks
thanks for these replies it has really helped, I will book a home visit and feel better knowing it is possible for them to understand and help. I will keep my fingers crossed she likes the new glasses, and remembers to wear them and where she has put them.
thanks for these replies it has really helped, I will book a home visit and feel better knowing it is possible for them to understand and help. I will keep my fingers crossed she likes the new glasses, and remembers to wear them and where she has put them.
Have had same problems wit my friend for years and I think if she lost her sight completely she would still say there is nothing wrong with her
I jest not, such is the denial. Because she has never liked wearing glasses she doesn't want to so does sporadically. Visits to optician ended up with various accusations about the optician and no memory of the decision she insistently makes against advice.
I managed to find a magnifier on a stand which she keeps in the kitchen and finds very useful not the same as this one but something similar:
https://www.nrshealthcare.co.uk/hou...ing/magnifiers-lighting/mini-stand-magnifier?
Since my symptoms began I am aware of the affects on my vision which can change in a moment making any proper evaluation difficult, it is interesting to read Nitram's post re. how they test some children.
Hope the home visit goes well.
Best wishes
Sue
I jest not, such is the denial. Because she has never liked wearing glasses she doesn't want to so does sporadically. Visits to optician ended up with various accusations about the optician and no memory of the decision she insistently makes against advice.I managed to find a magnifier on a stand which she keeps in the kitchen and finds very useful not the same as this one but something similar:
https://www.nrshealthcare.co.uk/hou...ing/magnifiers-lighting/mini-stand-magnifier?
Since my symptoms began I am aware of the affects on my vision which can change in a moment making any proper evaluation difficult, it is interesting to read Nitram's post re. how they test some children.
Hope the home visit goes well.
Best wishes
Sue
My OH has just had a new pair of glasses. He is still complaining he can't see. He has vari vocals but has little need for the distance. This is what he has had for years. Yesterday bought him some off the peg reading glasses for £1.50. He says he can now see. As the optician explained if the messages are not getting to the brain glasses won't help
Unfortunately, degrading eyesight is one of the likely consequences of all forms of dementia. For some, like my wife who has PCA, the visual cortex is the first part of the brain to be affected, so she already has issues with depth perception, focusing on objects that she is looking at, seeing double and failing to see objects in front of her. She also finds glare, reflections, transparent objects, busy scenes and lots of movement difficult. She was diagnosed in 2015 and is in the early stages. Her last eye test took a very understanding and careful ophthalmologist 1.5 hours.
As dementia progresses, the effects spread within the cortex, so people who start with memory and executive function problems, often move on to develop issues with their eyesight. It is not so much an issue of the messages not getting through to the brain, but the brain no longer being able to process them effectively. There are several areas in the back of the brain involved in the hugely complex task of processing vision and the effects on vision depend on which combination of these areas is affected. The specific issues experienced by each person will therefore be quite individual.
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As dementia progresses, the effects spread within the cortex, so people who start with memory and executive function problems, often move on to develop issues with their eyesight. It is not so much an issue of the messages not getting through to the brain, but the brain no longer being able to process them effectively. There are several areas in the back of the brain involved in the hugely complex task of processing vision and the effects on vision depend on which combination of these areas is affected. The specific issues experienced by each person will therefore be quite individual.
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My Dad has needed new glasses since being in care. On 2 occasions, he's had tests in the home, and by opticians who regularly attend to people living with dementia. My Dad was completely unable to respond to them, so as others have said, his sight was tested by other means, and new prescription glasses made up and fitted accordingly. He's never complained about them, so I guess they must be ok!
So I'd second the suggestion of getting a home visit - and it might be worth asking whether they're used to testing people with dementia, too.
Not really an eyesight problem
Thanks for that explanation Rich. I had come to a similar conclusion about MIL a couple of years ago; she wears specs and usually dissatisfied with them in some way. Often when shopping she peers intently at a shelf of familiar items in the supermarket and asks me "what am I looking at?". It took me a while to sort out what the question really meant. Now instead of becoming impatient I say "oh that's xxx, I think they might have changed the packaging" or something similar. Less stress all round
Thanks for that explanation Rich. I had come to a similar conclusion about MIL a couple of years ago; she wears specs and usually dissatisfied with them in some way. Often when shopping she peers intently at a shelf of familiar items in the supermarket and asks me "what am I looking at?". It took me a while to sort out what the question really meant. Now instead of becoming impatient I say "oh that's xxx, I think they might have changed the packaging" or something similar. Less stress all round
