Common
Sense Tips & Techniques
by Amy A.
Pais, M.S.
As
vision loss and/or aging occurs, some inexpensive,
non-technical adaptations can greatly reduce
frustration and enhance coping skills. I've
included here a few that will, hopefully, be usable
and even spark your own creativity to modify your
environment.
Money Saving Tips
A hungry shopper
tends to buy too much. Food shop after
eating.
If you are a senior
citizen, take advantage of your discount
days!
If you are a coupon
clipper or saver, use only ones for the things you
buy regularly any way.
Ask friends or
relatives to split a case of food sold at a
discount or share larger packages of dried milk,
detergents, etc.
Check prices.
Compare the price of fresh, frozen and canned
versions of the same foods.
Check the store
brands. Many markets have products under their own
labels that are better buys.
Convenient foods
have a "cook and made" built in. It is cheaper to
cook from scratch.
Cook by timer. Set
oven heat and timer according to recipe and don't
peek! Keep the faith and save fuel.
Keep a running
shopping list adding items as you discover you are
low on them. This will save extra trips to the
grocery store.
Save time and steps
by planning your grocery list to follow the layout
of the store's departments.
If you send your
list by someone else to do your shopping, don't
expect him/her to be a mind reader. Either write
down or tell him/her the size, brand and quantity
of each item.
Quantity buying is
not always a bargain! If you use more just because
it is on hand, savings are quickly lost. If there
is too much and there is spoilage, money is
lost.
Buy sale items or
bargains only if they are products your family
enjoys.
You can save energy
by turning off electric burners before food is
done. Retained heat will complete the
cooking.
Don't heat the
kitchen with the oven. It is efficient for cooking,
but is a poor room heater.
To retain the heat
and save energy, use tight fitting lids on your
pans.
What you like on
holidays is good all year. For example, turkey is
usually a good buy.
Serve fish, foul
and liver weekly. They are good nutritionally and
will lower your meat budget.
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Dishwashing: Machine &
By Hand Tips
Put small items in
the dishwasher first. If you can't fit in the
larger ones, it is easier to hand wash them than
the many small items.
Wash plastic and
heat sensitive items or gadgets on the top racks in
the dishwasher so they are far away from the source
of heat.
Put silver or
flatware in separate baskets. If washed together,
the steel may stain the silver.
Position dishes so
the soiled areas face the hot water
spray.
Load dissimilar
pieces of silverware together. If you put all the
spoons together in one compartment, they will nest
inside one another and prevent water and soap from
reaching all surfaces.
When hand-washing
dishes, wash least soiled items such as glasses
first and greasy pans last. This keeps water
cleaner longer.
Add a few
tablespoons of white vinegar to the rinse water. It
reduces grease and makes dishes sparkling
clean.
Never run cold
water in a hot pan. It can warp metal or crack
glass.
To keep water from
leaking out of sink, put plastic wrap between the
drain and the drain stopper.
When washing fine
china or glassware, place a soft towel on the
bottom of the sink to prevent breakage.
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Safety Tips For Solo
Travelers
Women are
especially smart to take precautions when traveling
alone, especially when they are visually impaired.
Here are some strategies to help ensure a safe
trip:
- Ask about
security when making hotel reservations. For
instance, check if the doors have dead-bolt
locks, chain locks, or peepholes, if you have
enough vision to use them.
- Request a room
that is not secluded - for instance, one near an
elevator.
- Register using
your last name and first initial only.
- Leave valuable
or expensive-looking jewelry or unnecessary
credit cards at home.
- Leave extra
cash, passport, and other valuables in a hotel
safe, or carry them in a pouch or money belt
under your clothes.
- Carry a cell
phone with you at all times.
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Guide To Making Your Environment
Safer
Everyone wants to
enjoy a safer environment. Here are some steps you
can take to improve security and decrease the
chances you and those you care about are
targeted:
Exterior
Doors:
Keep all doors
locked at night and every time you leave --- even
if it's just for a few minutes.
Keep basement doors
into houses locked to isolate it from your home.
Basement windows are a prime entry point for
burglars.
Be certain doors
are solid hardwood or metal-clad.
If you have some
usable vision, ensure that doors feature wide-angle
peepholes at heights everyone can use.
If there are glass
panels in or near your doors, be sure they are
secured in some way so that they cannot be entered
if shattered.
Make certain all
entryways have a working, keyed entry lock and
deadbolt lock installed into the frame of the
door.
Keep spare keys
with a trusted neighbor, not under the doormat or
planter, on a ledge or in the mailbox.
Keep house keys and
car keys on rings that can be separated. Anyone who
handles your keys can easily make
duplicates.
Garage and
Sliding Door Security:
The door leading
from the attached garage to your home or business
should be of solid wood or metal-clad and protected
with a quality keyed door lock and
deadbolt.
The overhead garage
door should have a lock so that you do not rely
solely on the automatic door opener to provide
security.
When leaving, make
certain all garage doors are closed and
locked.
Any sliding-glass
door should have a strong, working lock.
Install a dowel or
a pin to secure a glass door to prevent it from
being shoved aside or lifted off the
track.
Keep sliding doors
locked every night and each time you
leave.
Protecting
Windows:
Make certain that
every window has a working lock or is securely
pinned.
Ensure that windows
are always locked or somehow secured - even when
opened a few inches for ventilation.
Outside
Security:
So that there is no
place for someone to hide, keep shrubs or bushes
and tree limbs trimmed.
Ensure there are no
dark areas around your home, garage, yard or
business at night that would hide
prowlers.
So that criminals
can't gain access through second floor windows or
rooftops, put ladders away in locked storage
area.
To illuminate
visitors, be certain that every outside door has a
bright working light.
Use floodlights
appropriately to ensure effective
illumination.
Keep outdoor lights
on in the evening - whether someone is at home or
not - and be certain a photocell or
motion-sensitive lighting system has been
installed.
So that police and
other emergency vehicles can quickly find them,
make certain house and building numbers are clearly
displayed.
Security When
Away From Home or Business:
When you are away
from home or workplace for an extended time period,
have at least two light timers set to turn the
lights on and off in a logical sequence.
Be certain the
motion detector or other alarm systems have been
activated when leaving home or work.
When you go away
from home or work for a period of time, stop mail
and newspaper deliveries or make arrangements for a
friend to pick them up.
It is a good idea
to ask a neighbor to watch your house or workplace
when you are away.
Outdoor
Valuables & Personal Property:
Keep all gate
latches, garage doors and shed doors locked with
high-security, laminated padlocks.
Ensure that all
gate latches, garage and shed doors are locked
after every use.
Grills, lawn
mowers, other equipment and valuables should be
stored in a locked garage or shed (or, if left out
in the open, hide them from view with a tarp and be
certain they are securely locked to a stationary
object).
Secure every
bicycle with a U-bar lock or quality padlock and
heavy chain.
Keep bikes locked,
even if leaving them for just a minute.
Store firearms
unloaded and locked in storage boxes and secured
with trigger locks.
Inscribe valuable
items like televisions, stereos and computers with
an identifying number or marking.
Keep your home and
workplace inventory with serial numbers up-to-date
and include pictures. Be sure to keep a complete
copy somewhere away from your home or
work.
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Living Room &
Den
It is suggested
that furniture be placed in conversational
groupings so the person who has low vision can then
sit in a position to maintain good conversational
contact and yet not "invade the body space" by
sitting too close.
Contrasts in wall,
floor, and furniture coverings should be carefully
considered. Dark furniture against light walls, for
example, is much easier and more comfortably
identified.
Placing items on
tables (particularly low ones, such as coffee
tables) or covering them with varied colored
cloths, call attention to their corners and will
avoid many "shin scrapes."
Polish on hardwood
floors can cause falls and should be avoided. Also,
all rugs should be securely anchored.
Rooms which have
televisions should have other lighting as well, but
it should not cause glare. Seating for watching
television should be in such a manner as to allow
comfort for a person with impaired
vision.
Light switches
should be of contrasting color to the wall around
them or a piece of tape can be placed around them.
A night light near the switch allows for better
visual discrimination.
Lamps for specific
tasks are helpful as well as having good ceiling
lighting. A rheostat-type switch to allow for
dimming can add to the ambiance of the room and
give comfort as well.
Placing tape near
keyholes and locks, both on inside and outside
doors, allows the low vision person to find them
more easily.
Windows with
blinds, which can be completely closed, shutting
out all the light, or completely opened, to allow
maximum light, are best for persons with low
vision.
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Bedroom
The bedroom creates
an atmosphere for restfulness. Keeping this area as
safe and accident-free as possible is a big
concern. Therefore, avoiding any kind of blocking
of regularly circulated (wall) routes is very
important.
Persons who have
impaired vision find that accommodating to light or
darkness takes longer. A night light left on can
shorten the adjustment period..
Keeping items
picked up off the floor is also very important.
Putting last-used items, such as glasses,
house-shoes, canes, etc., in the same place each
time makes finding them easier. Clutter should be
kept to a minimum.
Organization is
essential. A box on the night stand, for example,
to hold small items is a good idea.
Keep electric cords
against the wall and avoid a maze of them.
Anchor items such
as lamps so they won't be pulled over.
If possible, keep a
phone on your nightstand.
Arrange furniture
in as comfortable a manner as possible around the
wall.
Do not use small,
slippery throw rugs. If you do use throw rugs for
texture detection, tape them down.
Always keep cabinet
drawers and all doors closed all the way. Do not
leave them half open.
If you put things
on high shelves, use a reacher (some type of
gripper) to bring them close to you. Avoid climbing
as much as possible.
Organization of
closet, dresser, chest, etc. (as was mentioned
before) is very important. It is a good idea to
keep containers with secure lids on the top of
nightstands and tables to place small items, such
as jewelry, coins, etc.
Avoid using heaters
if at all possible. But, if one is necessary, try
to use one that has an automatic cut-off thermostat
and make certain you use cut-off timers with
tactile markers.
Using light colors
for walls will make the room lighter. Also, use
fluorescent lighting where possible. Full spectrum
fluorescent lighting is now being made to screw
into incandescent light sockets.
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Indoor Safety
Tips
As vision loss
and/or aging occurs, it is important that
consideration should be given to safety in many
areas of life. In this article, we will consider
ways to avoid accidents in both familiar and
unfamiliar surroundings.
Stairways,
Railings & Steps
Steps require
special attention as they can be especially
dangerous and difficult to negotiate. Most falls
occur on the top step coming down from the landing,
where visual control over the first step is
important. Special attention should be given to
making landings as easy as possible to locate and
negotiate.
Serious
consideration should be given to lighting and
handrails as they are especially helpful in
avoiding falls.
Non-glare
lighting illumination of steps is very important.
The lights should be left on in the area,
particularly if the area is usually dark. A ceiling
light and a light at the top and one at the bottom
of the stairs is helpful.
A
contrasting paint on both the edge of the riser and
the tread or a contrasting color of non-skid
material should be used on the steps. Since it is
particularly hard for a vision impaired person to
find the first step and the last step, textured
material on the leading edge is particularly
helpful.
It is
also recommended that you use your foot to
cautiously feel the step.
The
steps should not be waxed nor slick. Neither should
items be placed on the steps.
Use
handrails wherever there are steps. These should be
easy to see, grip and painted a color that is
contrasting to the wall behind the rail. Textured,
non-skid runners can be used. The handrail should
extend past the top and bottom steps for easy
grasping before and after the assent or
descent.
A
contrasting color should be used on landings (top
and bottom).
If there
are two floors in the house, a basket at the bottom
of the stairs to put items in to be taken upstairs
will save trips.
Ramps
are especially helpful when there are step-downs in
the home or on a porch that has steps. They are not
only more comfortable (with rails) but also make it
easier to carry items.
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Slipping,
Stumbling, & Avoiding Obstacles
If light
switches are difficult to see or locate, use
luminescent light switch plate or switches with
night light outlet. Also, contrasting tape around
the light switch will make it stand out against the
wall.
Since
the tendency is often to look at the floor to avoid
tripping and falling, doors (including cabinet
doors) that have been left ajar can pose a special
hazard. If possible, it might be best to convert
problem doors to sliding doors or, if privacy isn't
an issue, removing them altogether. If a person
lives alone or needs to provide privacy for guests,
curtains will make it easier to see or wheelchair
users to pass through the doorways. If doors are
not removed, they should always be open all the way
or closed all the way.
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Floor
Coverings
Floor
coverings are a major cause of accidents. They
should be checked periodically. Rug corners and
edges should be tacked and/or taped down. Small
area rugs should be removed if they prove dangerous
but it should be remembered that they can be useful
in defining areas for a person with poor
vision.
Worn or
torn carpeting, linoleum or tile should be taken up
and replaced.
Bare and
potentially slippery floors should be covered with
textured runners or carpeting.
Plain
unpatterned linoleum may be less confusing visually
than patterned linoleum.
Linoleum
should not be waxed.
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Thresholds/doorsills
Because
doorsills are a major cause of falls, especially
for people wearing badly or loosely fitting
slippers or shoes, ANSI (American National
Standards Institute) suggests they be brightly
colored, flush, beveled, or planed down to no more
than 1/4 inch high.
Furniture
Sharp
edges can be lethal. Low coffee tables almost
guarantee barked shins or worse. Such items should
be moved out of the main circulation area or their
edges and corners made more conspicuous by marking
them with a bright padded cover, towel, tablecloth,
or object such as a light-colored book.
Well,
Surfers, that's all for now. Hopefully, these few
simple tips will be useful and help make your
living space a little more comfortable. Also, it is
hoped that I've stimulated your imagination to
develop other ways to improve coping skills and
make life more livable.
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