Don’t slip up – healthy eyes are important

09 April 2010

We all know that maintaining healthy eyes is one way of ensuring we enjoy a good quality of life as we get older. But did you know it’s also an important way to reduce the risk of a nasty fall?

People with reduced vision are more likely to fall from tripping over something they did not see clearly.

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions in people aged 65 years and over. After being admitted to hospital, people are often unable to return to their own home, and therefore may need to live in residential aged care.

Hunter New England Area Health is raising awareness of eye health by encouraging all older community members to follow a few simple tips to ensure they can see clearly and avoid hazards that cause falls.

Hunter New England Area Health Community Nurse Karen Hutchens said it’s important to understand how to overcome the challenges of vision.

“People are at risk of having a fall when the light is poor, like at dusk, if it’s too glary, or if the light suddenly changes, for example, from very dark to very bright,” Ms Hutchens said.

“Two of the most important visual skills for avoiding falls are being able to clearly see edges of steps and other objects, and being able to judge distances.

“If you’ve been told you need glasses it’s best to wear them, however, bifocal, trifocal and multi-focal glasses can make seeing things at our feet more difficult. This is because the lenses may blur obstacles on the ground that we need to see to avoid tripping.

“If you can, get a separate pair of single lens glasses to use when you are working around the house or out and about.”

Tips to ensure you can clearly see obstacles include:

• Having your vision tested every year by an eye doctor or optometrist.
• Wearing a single-lens pair of glasses (i.e. not bifocals trifocal or multifocal) when walking especially outside your home.
• Wearing a hat and sunglasses when outside to reduce the glare.
• Always putting on your glasses and switch on the light at night even for short walks to the bathroom.
• Avoiding dimly lit areas and uneven paths where possible.

For further details on preventing falls, contact Armidale Community Health Centre on (02) 6776 9600.

Contact: Emma Gibbs

Phone: 6767 7137