Posted: 5/17/2010

Assisting Vision Via the Junk Drawer

Vision loss in older adults has many causes; macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes, or stroke. Low vision is defined as vision loss that cannot be corrected by ordinary eyeglasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery. Low vision can have profound and adverse effects on the overall health and well-being of older adults such as a greater risk of depression, decreased ability to complete self care tasks, drug-related errors caused by an inability to identify medications, and an increased risk of falls. For individuals faced with low vision resulting from normal stages of aging, disease, or accidents, help can be found in an inconspicuous place; a junk drawer. Most homes have a drawer or space that may contain some common but important items that will increase one's ability to visually access the home environment.

Being independent with ADL's (activities of daily living) and home management tasks is of primary importance for individuals with low vision. Hardware and craft stores can be valuable resources to enhance one’s visual and tactile access and independence within the home. Common household objects can provide multiple ways to adapt and modify appliances, kitchenware, food items, clothing, floors, and fixtures.

One household item that is found in most homes is duct tape. This can be purchased in various colors, including bright yellow, pink, purple and green. The color that stands out the most should be purchased, as the color will vary from person to person. Duct tape can be placed on kitchen cabinets or handles/knobs to ensure that the cabinet door is closed for optimal safety. Tape placed on light switch plates will increase a person's ability to see the switch, and contrasting tape on door frames will allow safe access through the door threshold. Steps are often a safety hazard for individuals with low vision, and placing tape on edges of steps will reduce the risk for falls. In addition, tape placed on the floor of door thresholds will also prevent falls.

Thick markers are a valuable item to use for labeling. There are multiple bold colors available but black usually works the best. Again, this may vary from person to person and color should be selected by the individual with low vision. The thick markers can be used to mark prescription bottles, create medication lists to keep in case of emergency, mark measuring cups, and to label canned goods on contrasting index cards. Use nail polish to mark frequently used settings on appliances such as a washer, dryer, stove, oven, or shower knobs. Labels of assorted sizes and bright colors can be used to provide contrast to appliances such as microwave buttons. A contrasting marker can then be used to write numbers on the labels. Canned goods can be labeled with a bold marker. Prescription bottles can also have brightly colored labels with large, dark print.

Another item often found in a junk drawer is safety pins. Placing pins in the labels of dark blue clothing to differentiate from black is helpful. Safety pins can also be used to pin matching socks prior to washing. As for food items in a refrigerator, place a rubber band around a juice carton to differentiate from milk. One self care task that can be completed safely is placing a sponge into the bathtub prior to filling. As the water rises, the sponge will too, and the individual will know when to turn off the faucet.

An individual with vision deficits may also need tactile cues to safely complete functional tasks. Fabric paint provides tactile input as well as visual. This paint will dry and keep its shape so that the person can feel the texture and also see the contrasting color. Examples for use would be dials or buttons on stovetops, ovens, irons, and vacuum cleaners. Touch dots are rubber adhesives that can be placed on many surfaces so that an individual can feel the surface change. Felt pads can be placed on any appliance as well. Both touch dots and felt pads come in assorted sizes and can also be painted with paint markers or fabric paint for greater visibility.

These basic items are found in most homes and provide an inexpensive yet helpful way to complete self care and home management tasks. Using these strategies can allow an individual to strive for independence in the home, despite visual impairments, which is critical to maintaining quality of life.

Contributor: Debbie Greene - Occupational Therapist
Organization: Valley Health

All reports are informational only and represent the views of the writer. Always consult with your medical doctor before following the advice of third parties.

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