Cataract surgery is one of the most common types of surgery elderly people have and it’s a fairly short surgery, often only lasting well under an hour. Patients return home the same day and are expected to manage their recovery as their eye heals from the surgery. While your elderly loved one will begin to see improvements in her sight within days, the full healing and restoration of sight may take much longer, so being prepared for that possibility is wise to help ensure your loved one is given the best chance for her eye to heal without any complications and this could be provided by hiring 24-hour home care aides.
Normal Side Effects of Cataract Surgery
While there typically isn’t a lot of pain after surgery, the eye that had the surgery will have some changes in its appearance and in sensations that it may be feeling.
It’s common for your loved one to experience:
- Some blurriness at the beginning as the brain adapts to the new artificial lens.
- The feeling that something is in her eye or that something is scratching it. It may feel like she has a hair in her eye. But this is a normal sensation that should go away as the eye heals.
- Redness in the white of her eye. The surgery temporarily damaged the blood vessels in her eye and she can expect the redness to disappear within a few days.
Activities That May Be Limited After Cataract Surgery
Picking up heavy objects or putting a strain on the back and neck muscles to lift something heavy, either by pulling it off a high shelf or trying to pick it up off the ground.
Bending down. For several days, your loved one should not bend down in any way to pick up anything, tie her shoes, or do anything that might cause her head to go below her waist. That movement can cause increased eye pressure and slow the healing process.
Driving may be limited because, as the eye heals, depth perception can be thrown off, making getting behind the wheel dangerous. The sun may also cause a problem with its extreme brightness, making seeing difficult.
Strenuous activity. If your elderly loved one plays tennis, jogs, or needs to mow the lawn, those activities should wait until she gets the all-clear from her eye doctor. Swimming and getting the eye overly wet should also be avoided so even showers should be taken with care to avoid a stream of water going into the eye.
24-hour Home Care Can Help During Recovery
If your elderly loved one lives alone and doesn’t have anyone she can stay with her or she can’t stay with someone during those first weeks of recovery, a 24-hour home care team can help her with activities she’s not allowed to do while she recovers.
Having someone always in the home with her means she’ll have someone there to help her get the crockpot down from that top shelf, take the dog for a long walk, or even help her with bathing if she’s nervous about using the shower.
Before she knows it, your loved one will be seeing the world in all of its bright and wonderful colors again. It just takes a bit of patience and some gentle care to get her there.
If you or an aging loved one are considering 24-Hour Home Care Services in North Hills, PA, please contact the caring staff at Extended Family Care Pittsburgh today. Call 412-241-7292
Extended Family Care Pittsburgh is a Trusted Home Care Agency in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, including Allegheny County, Beaver County, Butler County, Fayette County, Mercer County, Washington County, North Hills, South Hills, Fox Chapel, Monroeville, Murrysville, Oakland, Plum Boro, and Squirrel Hill.
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