A new report suggests a simple intervention for Alzheimer’s patients: check their vision.
One in three nursing home residents who have Alzheimer’s disease are not getting their vision corrected so they can see clearly, according to new Saint Louis University research in the July issue of the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association…
Vision problems make it difficult for a person to function and can aggravate symptoms of dementia, Koch said. “The loss of visual stimulation may cause disorientation, limit a patient’s mobility and increase the risk of falls. Everyday activities such as reading or watching television may also be difficult. These patients may become so sensory deprived that they are virtually shut off from the outside world.”
Some of us at Medgadget can anecdotally report that the few moments after waking but before donning glasses are indeed the most disorienting of the day.
More from Dr. James Koch’s published abstract…