Did You Know? October is Eye Injury Prevention Month

Learn More About the Most Common Causes of Eye Accidents, and How to Prevent Them

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, nearly 50% of all eye injuries each year occur in the home. October is the month to pay closer attention to preventing eye injuries.

Some people may argue that they don’t do anything that could cause an eye injury. Or they assume that only people who work in shops where they are cutting wood or welding steel could possibly sustain an eye injury. This simply isn’t true. It’s usually the every-day activities a person does around the home that carry the biggest eye injury risks for most people.

The most common activities where preventable eye accidents occur include both indoors and outdoors:

·        While gardening – protective eyewear should be used when operating a power edger or trimmer or even a lawnmower. Little stones or twigs become dangerous projectiles when they shoot out of these machines.

·        In the home – there are many household chemicals that are used as cleaners for various things. Labels should be read carefully and cleaners should be used in well-ventilated areas. Nozzles should be pointed away from anyone’s face because the chemicals are strong enough to result in blindness if they make contact with the eyes. For the elderly adult, these can become a hazard if they are not able to read instructions in detail and not able to use the product safely due to poor coordination.

·        In the garage – there are a number of items regularly stored in the garage that can cause damage to the elderly adult’s eyes if there’s an accidental spill. Does your Dad have various cans and bottles of stuff stored on upper shelves? If he gets a ladder or stool out to reach them to take down and it isn’t very stable they could be spilled on him resulting in an eye injury. This is an area to take great caution in because your Dad might have more confidence in his climbing abilities than he actually has strength to match.

It is recommended every household has at least one pair of protective eyewear for activities where the eyes need to be safeguarded. It may be difficult to talk your elderly loved one into wearing a pair of protective glasses to do an activity they’ve been doing all their life and never got hurt from. That’s the most common excuse. One way to get around this is to have someone else do the activity first and completely avoid a dangerous situation.  For example,  a home care provider can help with cleaning the stove so your Mom doesn’t have to handle caustic oven cleaner. There are many other daily tasks a caregiver can help out with as well.

If you have an aging loved one and are considering home care services, contact Interim HealthCare today. G+