We all fall apart. While we wish we could maintain the energy and ability to rebound like 17 year olds, over time our bodies unfortunately age and begin to fail us. One of the first things to go is eye sight. Easily recognized as a natural part of the aging process, a national conference feels that eye sight compounded with dementia deserves some more attention.
Chairing the first national ‘Dementia and Sight Loss conference’ in London, Baroness Sally Greengross will announce that two per cent of people over 75 will have both conditions. They face double the burden when performing simple tasks like going to the toilet or moving around, and with perception.
It is one initiative of the Dementia and Sight Loss Interest Group (DASLIG), an alliance of charities, including Alzheimer’s Society, leading work to raise awareness as the number of people with both dementia and sight increases.
Clive Evers, Head of Professional Liaison at Alzheimer’s Society, says, “The needs of people with dementia and sight loss are poorly recognized and not adequately addressed. Professionals in the field of dementia lack knowledge about sight loss and sight loss professionals are not equipped to deal with dementia. Nor do they actively communicate with each other. The impact is 100,000 people who have to deal with two of the most challenging conditions.”
Graham Doggett, who has dementia and problems with his vision, says, ‘You fall over and do all sorts of funny things. If I go to the loo there’s a good chance I’ll go into the women’s because of the stylized signs.’
This conference brings up an interesting point, that while we may be unable to treat people’s dementia we can improve their ability to see their environment. All too often odd behaviors, like someone walking into the ladies room instead of the men’s room, are written off as a part of the condition. If a resident did that at some facilities they may make a note that particular individual needs bathroom assistance, when in reality all they had to do was ask, did you know you went to the ladies room?
