Your eyes not only see where you are going, but help with balance and movement. As you age, your eyes change.

• Your eyes are more sensitive to glare and need more time to adjust to sudden light changes.
• Your eye lose depth perception. It becomes harder to judge distance and depth. This can affect how you see stairs and curbs.
• You need more light to see at night. A 60-year-old needs 10 times more light to see at night than a teenager.

Take Action

• Have your eyes checked each year. Alberta residents can have their eyes checked free every year after they are 65 years.
• If you have multifocal lenses, tilt your head down to look out of the top half of your glasses when using stairs.
• Remove your reading glasses when walking.
• Pause and give your eyes time to adjust to changes in light.
• Have a lamp by your bed with a switch that is easy to reach. Use the maximum wattage recommended in each light fixture.

• Watch for glare. Eliminate exposed or bare bulbs. Use blinds or light curtains on your windows. Wear sunglasses outside both in winter and summer.
• Keep pathways well-lit inside and outside. Use night lights and motion detector lights.
• Use non-skid or reflective strips at the edge of each step. Use a different colour than the stairs to make it easier to see the edges. Use them on door thresholds too. Remove patterned carpet on stairs.

Watch this 1½ minute video to learn about getting around your home with vision problems.

If you have low vision, watch this short video to learn about aids to help you cope.

Resources

• Alberta Association of Optometrists
• CNIB in Alberta

To learn more about your risk of falling complete the “Is there a chance you might fall?” checklist.