Blind residents in care homes

[milkmoustache]

Just starting to research future options for my 80 year old mum. She has been losing her sight over the last 10 years, and now had very little. It is a progressive deterioration, so she constantly has to adapt and becomes extremely depressed and anxious.
Currently she lives in a large house with a lodger, paid care twice a week and a cleaner, so for the moment that works. There will come a time when we need to think about a home, and I am wondering how care homes deal with blind residents. She has no other health issues, but she is prone to 'getting lost' in the house she knows so well, so it would be a massive challenge. I have seen that the RNIB has a few homes, which are remote from all her friends and family, so that is not ideal. Can a mainstream home work for someone like my Mum?

If I were in that position I'd want to move into a place while I could still see something, so that it was familiar to me when I lost my sight. Your poor mum - what a horrible position to be in.

I'd think the smaller the care home, the better.

Or could she have a live-in carer?

I did a couple of placements in a care home and there was a few blind residents. They had their own bedrooms (obviously) with things like radio, and buzzers if they wanted something and a member of staff would come and assist or just chat. At meal times a care worker would just walk them to the dining room, either feed them their food or just help with finding knife and fork.
They had plates with an edge to slide food onto so all but one of the residents just fed themselves. Joined in on the day activities, we did a quiz and just ran down to their bedrooms and collected them so they could join in. Didn’t make a huge difference if I’m honest but it was a fantastic home.

The other issue is that she is a very independent person, hates asking for help, and really values her own space. So a live-in carer might be the only way to let her stay at home, but she would be totally reliant on them which she would hate. And she's somewhat judgemental of people who are not interested in the same things as she is, just to add a further complication!

Deteriorating eyesite is not uncommon as people age. A good home will have things in place like different flooring in different areas. Tactile pads on walls to help when residents Are disoriented. raised numbers on doors to help them find their room. It is a case of finding a home that is sympathetic and proactive to her needs.

is staying at home with more support an option or would she prefer to move? As her care needs aren't great advertising for an au pair type companion may be the least expensive way to get her support
Are there things you can put into place at home to assist her like those mentioned about even things like a strip of door draft foam along the wall to follow in corridors. a brillo pad by door to kitchen, bit of flannel at bathroom etc all mounted at waist height. So she can follow the foam with her fingers to a door and get a tactile hint of where she is will help with her getting lost. There are also sound buttons that you can record a few seconds of verbal instruction that can be wall or cupboard mounted to say things like crockery or tinned foods or anything. There are available at Amazon now. There are masses of gadgets that cost a fortune in specialist shops that can be bought for a fraction of the price in Amazon and the high street

Like shelves that fit into high cupboards that you pull down so contents are in reach rather than trying to reach up and work out what is what. Children puffy paint pens are great for labelling too. so she can feel a tin of soup as opposed to peaches for example.

Those are schemes that will buy her house from her and release the equity so she can fund care to enable her to stay at home as long as possible. If she would rather stay at home.
Or if she feels she would feel more secure and enjoy the community of sheltered accommodation or a care home there will be ones that will be able to support her without being specific Rnib ones. well worth a visit to one to borrow ideas though
wishing her well. It is such a difficult sense to lose.

Sorry wrote an essay so cross posted with your post.

Pananny, thanks for all your thoughts, I do appreciate it - and to other posters too!
The tactile 'prompts' are a good idea, she does have a pen which can make audible stickers for tins of food, but there probably is more we can do on that front.