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It is terrible to even think about it, but there are many seniors who live without sight or have damaged vision. If you imagine a life like that only for a second, the idea of not being able to do many of the things you used to will cross your mind. But for people who have vision impairment, life without hobbies and activities that they love is a reality. But there are ways for them to change that or to find something new that interests them.

In order for seniors with weakened eyes to have a better quality of life, both they and their caregivers need to work on this. According to the National Federation of the Blind, there are approximately 3 million people older than 65 who are functionally blind. This means that they don’t have the ability to perform any activities that require them to have normal vision. According to the same source, in the coming years, there will be even more people with the same issue.

Activities for Seniors with Limited Vision
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Life With Low Vision

Having activities to pass the time and have fun is essential for elderly adults who want to avoid loneliness and depression. But for people with vision impairment, and even blindness, it becomes hard to find appropriate activities. The group of older adults who have even more issues with finding the right hobbies are those who are affected by both blindness and any type of dementia.

The place for these seniors to start would be a conversation about things they previously enjoyed. Even if their hobbies were cooking, baking, music, or art, these can be experienced even with damaged eyesight—you only need to find a way. For those that loved working in the kitchen, they can still stir ingredients, roll out dough, make meatballs, or be a taste tester. There are ways for them to enjoy old activities—it’s only that their role needs to be slightly changed.

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Activities for Seniors with Limited Vision

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Because of that, we have compiled a list of activities that even the elderly with impaired vision can take part in.

Activities for the Elderly With Impaired Vision

  • Art – Despite bad eyesight, the elderly can still put their hands in clay or sculpturing sand. Other art-related activities include working with papier-mâché  or collages.
  • Dance and Music – Dancing is an eternal hobby. With a reliable partner, you only need the will to make moves. Music is also always available, regardless if you want to just listen or play an instrument.
  • Pets – There are many blind people who have a guide dog, and even if they don’t need one, they can always hold and pet someone else’s dog or cat.
  • Reading – Even if some older adults no longer can do this by themselves, they can listen to newspapers, books, and magazines from the mouth of their caregiver. Also nowadays, you have audiobooks, which can be a great source of fun for the elderly.
  • Outdoors – One of the ways to enjoy this activity is to go on a road trip with someone who is good at describing the scenery. Most seniors will enjoy a picnic in a park or a walk between trees or in a nearby forest. What many elderly adults find thrilling is fishing. They can mostly do it by themselves. You only need to bait the hook and remove the fish they catch.
  • Sports – While most elderly can’t participate in sports due to their age, those with vision impairment are even less capable of doing so. But what you can do is watch the game with them and vividly describe what is happening.

All of these ideas are fun, and you should only need to find the one that suits you and your loved one best.

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