Patients who have lost vision progressively due to glaucoma will be under great psychological stress, and caring to the needs of the patient may be challenging both to the doctor and family members. The family can help in multiple ways:
- Organize the main household items, which are of daily use so that they can be easily located and identified by the patient. As a suggestion, identify important items with high-contrast labels.
- Remove all items in home that could make the patient trip over- any small stools, tables, loose wires, etc.
- Program important numbers like that of police, ambulance, fire station, etc. in your phone with voice activation.
- Put different number of rubber bands over your various medications so that it can be identified.
- Add more lights in your house as better illumination can provide better mobility.
- Carry list and timing of medications in your wallet or purse or keep an alarm in your cell phone to remind the patient to use eye drops regularly.
- Help the patient by bringing him/her regularly to the hospital for check-up.
- Above all provide the moral support to the patient and encourage community-based rehabilitation with vocational training to overcome the impact of disability.
- Get all family members screened for glaucoma.
- Spread the message for glaucoma screening in the community.
