Did you know that by age 70, fewer than 30 percent of elderly people have 20/20 vision?

Normal age-related visual impairments such as macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma can impact day-to-day functioning. They can affect our ability to drive, read prescription bottles, safely maneuver an uneven sidewalk, or recognize a friend at church.

Visual impairments can also affect our ability to communicate effectively with others. We observe our partners to see if they “get” what we are saying when we talk to them. Consider the visual clues that we look for during a conversation:

Facial cues, which indicate mood or emotion

Hand gestures, which can indicate size or direction

Turn-taking cues, including raised eyebrows

Feedback, such as head nodding

These types of non-verbal messages may be lost or misunderstood by people with poor vision. Both people in the conversation are then prone to misinterpretation. Imagine not being able to see someone roll his eyes when making a sarcastic remark. You might think that he is rude, and he might think that you don’t have a sense of humor!

Here are some simple things you can do when talking to someone who has visual impairments:

1. Identify yourself when going to visit. “Hi Grandma. It’s me, Mary.”

2. Describe what you mean with words in addition to hand gestures. “The fish was two feet long.”

3. Sit in a well-lit area but avoid sitting directly in front of bright windows or standing in doorways. This “backlighting” causes a silhouette effect and people cannot see your face clearly.

4. Eliminate distracting background noise. When someone has poor vision, he may rely more on his sense of hearing to make up for the loss.

5. Use bright table or floor lamps whenever possible and ensure cords are out of the way to avoid falls. Overhead fluorescent lighting causes glare on linoleum and hardwood floors.  

6. Install nightlights in hallways, the bedroom and bathrooms.

7. Offer your arm for support when you are out together and tell him or her about upcoming curbs or stairs.

These tips can help keep your loved ones involved in meaningful conversations and ensure their safety at home.

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Information adapted from article by Danielle Myers-Rickard in Today’s Caregiver.Com Newsletter, January 8, 2015 – Issue #779.

If you would like more information on “Vision Loss Affects Our Ability to Communicate” contact Gail Gilman, Family Life Consultant, M.Ed., C.F.C.S. and Professor Emeritus University of Minnesota at waldn001@umn.edu. Be sure to watch for more Family Living Focus™ information in next week’s paper.