When living with age-related macular degeneration, it’s important to make sure you feel comfortable and safe moving around and doing things in your home.
Small changes like moving furniture, improving lighting, fixing safety hazards, and investing in helpful electronic devices can help people with any type of vision loss maintain independence and confidence.
Here are some ways you can enhance your home, making it easier to navigate and do everyday tasks:
How to Make Your Home More Safe With AMD
First, it’s important to look for and consider safety concerns or hazards that could lead to a fall or injury.
Areas to consider include:
- Stairs. It’s best to have handrails on both sides, make sure the area is well lit, and use paint or colored tape to mark each step, so you can see each one as you go up or down.
- Thresholds. Look for uneven floor surfaces and lifted thresholds, which can cause you to trip and fall.
- Rugs. Be wary of movable rugs, as they can be a tripping hazard. Try to find rugs that are flush or as low to the floor as possible, or in a contrasting color to the rest of the floor so you can more easily see where they start and end. Also use non-slip guards or pads to keep them in place.
- Clear clutter. Shoes, clothes, toys, and other items thrown about on the floor are also a tripping hazard. Anyone you live with should pick up items off the floor and put things back after using them.
- Cabinet, closet, and other doors. Be sure to close them when done so you do not bump into them.
- Bathroom mats. Mats in the bathroom and the shower/tub should be skid-free. It helps to make them a different color than the floor.
- Look for any protruding cabinets, ledges, or objects. Move them or use colorful tape or paint to help them stand out.
- Knives and sharp objects. Depending on the age and ability of the person with vision loss, it may be important to keep knives and sharp objects in a high drawer or cabinet. Knives should be stored in a separate place from other utensils.
- Medicines. Make sure all medications are in closed containers that are clearly labeled with large text.
- Fire safety. Keep lighters and matches in a safe place and install smoke alarms and add a firefighter sticker to the bedroom window.
- Electrical cords. Keep them as close to the baseboards and walls as possible and out of doorways, as they can be a tripping hazard.
Lighting Your Home With AMD
Lighting is important for people with all stages of vision loss. Placing lamps in dark corners and places where you regularly do activities – such as dress, shower, prepare meals – can be helpful. When using a lamp or moveable light, point it toward the activity you are doing – such as a table where you are working on a project – not at your eyes. “Warm” LED lights (which refer to the color of the light, not the temperature) tend to work best for people with low vision.
When fixing the lighting in your home, also consider the potential glare, which can make it harder for you to see if you have age-related macular degeneration.
Nightlights are also helpful and can be placed in strategic places throughout your home so you can safely find your way when it’s dark. You can also install motion sensor lights that go on as soon as you enter an area or room.
Use Contrasting Colors
Contrasting colors – putting an item that is dark against a wall, floor, or counter that is light colored or vice versa – helps someone with limited or low vision see and locate items more easily. Even if you have trouble seeing and recognizing colors, the difference in appearance makes them easier to see and tell the difference between two items.
Using contrasting colors can work well for a lot of areas in your home. You can use contrasting colors for light switches and plugs (place dark light switches on light-colored walls), towels and rugs, labels, and more.
Embrace Organization
When everything in your home has a place, it can be easier to find and locate things when you need them. First, it can help to go through your home and get rid of items that you don’t use. Next, store items you use often close to the places where you use them (such as everyday pots and pans close to the stove or in the front of a shelf, and personal care products on an accessible shelf in the bathroom). Third, make sure you and everyone in your home put items back when you’re done using them, so you always know where to find them.
You can also label items with large text or labels, use colored labels and even rubber bands or Velcro to help you tell the difference between items. This can be helpful for cans of food, household cleaning supplies, and even personal shower or bath products. For example, in the shower you can put one rubber band around the shampoo bottle, and two rubber bands around the conditioner.
Find Useful Devices
Consider upgrading or buying devices, tools, or electronics that can make it easier to do things you enjoy at home.
For example, there are computer keyboards with large keys that are easier to see and use, as well as large screens and ways to enlarge text on the screen, which may make it easier for you to use your computer. Software and apps are also available for cell phones and computers to read text aloud and convert what you say to text.
Other ideas include big screen televisions, audiobooks, and magnified readers or magnified glasses, which can be left in places around your home where you use and need them most.
Other Tips for Living With AMD
Updating and enhancing your home can be overwhelming at first. Start with areas of the home that you use the most, aren’t safe, or are the most difficult to navigate.
Ask your family, friends, or neighbors for help in making changes or enhancements to your home. You can also seek the expertise of a Certified Aging in Place specialist (CAPS), occupational therapist, vision therapist, or an interior designer who specializes in working with those with vision impairments. These professionals can recommend simple changes to your home and offer tips to help you best navigate your daily life. You can also view room-by-room design ideas at Vision Aware.
