ideas

Ideas on Coping With Low Vision
by Sharon Noseworthy

With additional contributions
from the people of the
MD Support Internet Community
Updated April 2010

One day, I was stuck indoors due to freezing rain, so I thought I would list some things we low vision folks can do and better ways of doing them. I posted my ideas to the MD Support email discussion group, and other subscribers soon began adding to them. So here is my list, with credit given where it is due to everyone who joined me. We hope this will be helpful information for others like us who are coping with low vision.

To see what you want to see

Take a digital snapshot in the general direction of who or what you want to see. With a good software program it is amazing what you can see. With the zoom and the edits you end up seeing faces and places you only knew were there. You can also use your CCTV to view pictures.

When traveling

Let your carrier know you have low vision.
Pack items in see through bags. I use the bags off linens. Zip lock bags are also great. Use tissue paper as well. Stockings/socks in one bag, underwear in another, ties in one and jewelry in another. Layer matching outfits with tissue between. I found wrapping outfits in tissue like they do in dept stores is a good way to reduce wrinkles.
Take a placemat, bright green or white, and put out your morning needs on the mat. This also works at home. At night put your watch, etc. on a placemat so your belongings are easily found.
I put travel documents in a folder and then in a bag.
Never bring more than you can carry. I bring soap.
Money is a nuisance so use a card if possible. This avoids having to make the exchange and or change.
If alone, count the doors from the elevator to the room. Have a porter take the time to show you the elevator buttons and note them verbally, out loud.
Room service can be a great option if eating in restaurants is a challenge. Sometimes a mall is attached so you can grab a snack. this cuts the cost.
Always have a meeting point in case you get separated from your companion. This is good for a shopping date also. Have our companion wear a colour you can see.
Tag your bag with a bright ribbon or strap you can see.
Keep your valuables hidden in a secret pocket or other on your person. Thieves will target you as an easier target if they note your low vision. Purses are the last place to keep valuables.
Leave a copy of all your documents with family in case you lose yours. This also is required for your bank cards.
Travel cheques are good, but signing them is a challenge. Get a heavy piece of paper, mylar, or cardboard and make a template by cutting to size of cheque and cutting out where the you need to write.

In the kitchen

Record recipes on a tape recorder, and use the pause button between tasks.
Have the stove marked with the little clear dots from the hardware store. This is good for the dishwasher as well.
Put hot glue drops on containers in Braille (i.e. C for cinnamon). Those little sticky plastic door guards made for kitchen cabinets can also be used.
Put sweet baking supplies in one container and spicy in another, so you don’t mix them up.
(From Carol:) My stove has red lights everywhere to tell me if there is heat still emanating from a burner or the oven, or where a burner is operating in case I don't remember. I will not open my oven door without long, insulated mitts on my hands and arms. Its just fool-hearty.

From an article sent in by Olive from her hometown newspaper, "Coping With Low Vision in the Kitchen," (The Golden Voice, Camden County NJ, Feb 2005):

Store everything in the same place every time.

Store food in different types of containers, or attach cards with rubber bands marked in large print, colors, or Braille. As the contents are consumed, the cards become useful as reminders to restock.

Shop online or have groceries delivered.

Cook prepared foods or frozen vegetables. Ask the butcher to quarter the chicken or cube the beef for you.

To avoid injury, keep cabinet doors closed or fully-open, and keep drawers closed.

Use large-print or color-coded measuring spoons and cups.

Don't hesitate to touch or kneed the food with your hands, as long as they are clean.

To pour a liquid, use your finger to align the edges of the containers. Raise the edge of the pouring container slightly over the edge of the receiving container. Listen for the sound as the container fills, feel the weight, estimate the time. Alternatively, purchase a liquid level indicator that beeps when the container is nearing full.

For easy cleanup and neatness, use a cookie tray for a surface to prepare food on. Grate or chop directly into a bowl.

Use bowls with non-slip bases or lay a non-slip mat on the counter top.

Consider purchasing a Stir Chef automatic pot stirrer and a pan holder.

Use the end of a utensil to locate meat in the pan before flipping.

Add raised dots or other tactile cues to microwave templates.

Purchase a tactile or talking timer.

To get organized

Go to the dollar store and buy bins and boxes. Plastic and/or cardbord boxes are wonderful In the kitchen.
Use a different colored box for each category. Red is for tax-deductible receipts. Green is for office supplies. Blue is for personal papers has personal papers. And on and on.
Use boxes to organize magazines. Craft books in one box, travel another.
Put computer supplies all in the same box.
When going to the bank, take white envelopes with the dollar amounts clearly marked.
Put receipts in little baggies to ensure that they don't get lost in your purse or pocket.
(From Dianne & Shirley:) Keep socks together from washer to dryer to drawers. On way is to use safety pins. Another is sock "aids,” which can be found at www.LSSproducts.com and www.maxiaids.com .
(From Carol:) Match Makers (www.startech-intl.com) are another tactile marking system to match and identify items that go together, such as clothing, towels, linens, food, spices, medication, and make-up.
(From Karen:) Create labels inside your clothes. I use fabric paint and paint the color on the label that already exists. If it is a dark label, I use white paint. If it is a white label, I use black paint. Fabric paint is machine washable (but may come off if drycleaned or pressed at the cleaners). Once it dries, you can feel the letters (especially if you get Puffy Paint). You could also paint only one code letter. I also put "key tags" on the hanger with the same label (or you can fold an index card in half, cut a small hole for the hanger, and label it). So, once they come out of the d ryer, I read the label and match it to the proper hanger. In the morning, all I have to do is read the hanger tag. I try and keep all black items together, all blues together, etc.

Organizing with bags

Organizing with cloth bags cuts out the frustration of looking for items, as well as ending up late because you just can't find something. I found plain dollar store bags in a variety of colours. They even have a change purse attached. Simple to make if you know someone who can sew. The ones I use have a velcro closure. Think of what you would put in your bag:

In the blue bag is my light, an extension cord, large playing cards, kleenex, money and other necessities for going to bridge games.
The red bag has my member card, exercise instructions, lock and shoes for exercise class.
I have a Grandma bag with a toy, a book, etc. for going to "quiet " places with the little one.
I have a bag with tools for meetings. This includes extra dollars for just in case. Also extra house keys.
One bag has all in the ready for sitting and waiting. A tape, earphones, and a recorder.

Activities

Low cost activities include children’s music concerts, talks, music in the park. Every community has a list of activities that we should support, plus this gives us a way to stay part of the community. Listening to music and talks on various levels and subjects is also good for us.
Take a course like pottery by hand, or public speaking, or learning how to sing.

Make-up and grooming

Use compact foundation. Put it on. Ask for feed back. Try and try until you master the task. Undercover the little marks with a finger rather than an applicator.
Mascara: Keep your eyes fixed and move the brush toward you. Once lash and brush meet, swipe upward.
Lipstick: Just do the upper lip. Practice until you are advised you have the knack.
Blush: Go to a department store such as Sears, and ask for help. They love to be of assistance. They will work with you through the whole process.
Eye liner: forget it.
Eye highlight colour: Same as blush. Use your finger rather than a brush.
Subtle is best with all make up, but using it gives you a lift.
The bonus is that you are able to apply makeup anywhere at any time and get it right. No mirror required.
(From Shirley:) After using toner and moisturizer, keep the pad you used for the toner handy. Apply powder eye shadow with the finger and, after using the mascara, take the moistened pad and carefully wipe around your eyes just to remove any signs of powder or slight touches of mascara. Gives a great feeling of confidence that nothing is smudged!
(From Carol:) I use a liquid liner on my upper lid, because I can feel it going on. And a check with a high magnifying mirror makes sure I don't look like a clown.
Hair: go to the hairdresser when thy have a slow time and get direction from them. A good cut and a few hints works wonders. A dob of handcream run through the final style will smooth out the flying hairs. This was a hint from my hairdresser and it works.
Note please that you must get someone to check your hairbrush regularly and get them to clean it. It is amazing what can happen. We can't see the build up.
Keep regular appointments.
Feet and hands: Don't turn up your nose at a pedicure and/or a manicure. We need these to ensure good health.
Foot care is often covered by health care plans.
Don't hesitate to ask for a manicure for a birthday or holiday gift.
Did you know that a therapeutic massage can be covered by insurance? Check your policy. This helps give you and your muscles a break from all the tension.
Clothes: Boy can they get dirty fast. Have a trusted individual who will tell you as it is. Not one of us wants to leave the house with a dirty front. We tend to spill more food than we would have thought. Keep a close watch.
Shoes: Feel the front, the toe for separation. We tend to trip and bang the shoe and they will deteriorate faster. A loose sole could cause you a nasty fall. Buy rubber soles. Leather soles are an added hazard: a slippery slope we don't need. Tie your shoes together in pairs when storing them. Keep them in their box.

In The Bathroom

Put your hair dryer, curling iron, brush and other related supplies in a one-handled basket that fits under the sink.
In a washable open container place a clean face cloth, toothbrush, etc. This is washed and cleaned by a visual caregiver on a very regular basis.
A night light is imperative. Full lighting in the night blinds us.
Use plastic pill dispensers. It is so easy to take the wrong medicine. Wrap a white paper around each vial and mark one word on each for identification.

Low Vision Aids

Here are comments from Alex about low vision aids:

For me, the single best low vision device has been my CCTV, which I use for writing checks, posting my check register, signing documents, and a little reading.
When reading becomes tedious, I use books on tape supplied by my State Library for the Blind and Visually Handicapped.
For veterans I have heard that the VA does work with low vision vets to teach computers including programs with sound known as screen readers. In some cases, they have actually given me the equipment.

And these great ideas are from Carol:

My gigantic timer sits adjacent to my stove, and I adore it.
A small food chopper stops when I take my hand off of it, and it’s a great help instead of using knives.
I keep three dust mops on my back screened in porch and everytime I am in the kitchen, I swipe over the floor before I begin anything, and I do it again in between and at the end. These can easily be tossed into a washing machine, because I don't let them get very soiled.
The Voc Com II records credit card sized messages identifying an object or bottle of medication. The cards attach by a small rubber band. You merely push the card into the unit, and it reads back whatever you recorded.
If you don't have Vox Com II and can't read medication labels, have your pharmacist mark the lids clearly and large before you pay for it. They will also remove the safety cap for you if you have no small children in the house. Its easy to do. Just pry out the inner cap, and that becomes the lid. A broad permanent marker with only one huge letter on it most often suffices to tell you what the medication is. This is where Braille comes in handy.

Miscellaneous ideas

How to tell the front from the back? With PJ's, for example, it isn’t always easy to tell. If there are hanger loops, I tie a knot in the left or front loop.
I have a spare button sewn in the left front hem. Even a French knot works fine. Being consistent is the key.
(from Alex:) Instead of relying on a white cane, I wear a lightweight white windbreaker in warmer weather and a red jacket in winter. Motorists do seem to slow down when they see me approaching a crosswalk.

Here are ideas on a variety of subjects from Carol:

I have a sign in my kitchen warning anyone who moves one thing must replace it to its original location. Consistency in where our items are is critical to our safety and to our sanity.
All of my doors have been "keyed" so I only have to use one key to get in and out. A daughter and a neighbor also have a key.
It wasn't very expensive to have motion-detector lights put up, and they are a blessing. I do keep my indoor lights on during the day with my light walls and floors, so my ambient lighting is improved.
Tell your suppliers and vendors, including the phone company, you have low vision and need some accommodating, and you'll be surprised how many have alternatives for you.
Get rid of scatter rugs and loose carpets. If you have a favorite rug with a design you just love, do as I did, and hang it on the wall. It will last much longer there, and you can SEE it!

And even more ideas from members of our International MD Support Group:

To remember if you have taken your pill, turn the bottle upside down.
Use a wooden spoon like a tiny cane to find pan handles and the center of the pot when pouring.
Look on the back of US currency. The numbers are bigger there.
You can identify the pills in a container by either shaking or smelling them.
Place accessories in a bag and hang them with the appropriate outfit.
Put toothpaste on your finger instead of on the brush. It's easier.
Use a magnetized tape labeler to identify canned goods.

My thanks to all of the people who have added their ideas to mine. This is an open-ended article, which I will update as I receive contributions from you. To do that, click on this link and send the message that appears. By working together, we can make this world a better place to live!

For more tips on living with low vision, see these helpful resources on the MD Support site:

"What Can I Do To Keep Busy?"
"Fifteen Tips For Family And Friends"
"Coping With Low Vision: A Discussion With Dorothy Stiefel"
"The T.A.S.K. of Living With Central Vision Loss"
"Navigating Everyday Tasks With Less Stress"

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