Macular degeneration is an eye disease involving the loss of clear, central vision. Life with macular degeneration means learning to take different approaches to everyday tasks. The faster you can find ways to cope with this disease, the faster you can get on with living as full a life as possible.
Step 1
Learn how to manage money without having to write checks. Check writing may prove to be too difficult to do as macular degeneration worsens. Instead, pay bills by setting up automatic deductions from your checking account. Use debit/credit cards for purchases made while shopping.
Step 2
Use products designed for people with low vision. Items with larger text, lighted display areas, bigger buttons, high-contrasting colors and voice-activated features can make everyday activities easier. Cell phones, pens, wristwatches, closed-circuit televisions, microwaves and thermostats are a few of the enhanced products available on the market today. Your ophthalmologist might also be able to refer you to a low vision rehabilitation specialist. This individual can analyze your vision needs and help you make adaptations.
Step 3
Use a tactile paint pen to place raised dots on kitchen appliances and gadgets. This allows you to use your sense of touch while preparing and cooking food.
Place a raised dot at frequently used cooking settings of kitchen appliances, such as the 350-degree F mark on your oven and the medium heat setting on your stove's burners. For measuring cups, add dots on the handles to indicate their sizes. One way to do this is to put one dot on a 1-cup measure, two dots on a 1/2-cup measure, three dots on a 1/3-cup measure and four dots on a 1/4-cup measure.
Step 4
Paint the edges of steps in and around your house with a contrasting color. This will reduce falls and stumbles.
Tips and Warnings
- If you still want to write checks, using large print checks in conjunction with a check-writing template guide may be sufficient.
- Increasing vision loss from macular degeneration may mean having to obtain outside help.
References
- Mayo Clinic on Vision and Eye Health; Helmut Buettner, MD; 2002
- Macular Disease: Practical Strategies for Living with Vision Loss; Peggy R. Wolfe; 2008
