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Hello …

Morris_likes_Cheese
Morris_likes_Cheese Community member Posts: 6 Listener
I am seeking information, help & knowledge - I am trying to look after my very elderly father who has just become blind. 

Also, I really love a nice bit of cheese …. and it’s almost lunch time! 

Comments

  • Biblioklept
    Biblioklept Community member Posts: 4,645 Disability Gamechanger
    My dad is losing his too and he has found it very scary indeed. The affect on him has been difficult to watch and he has given up most of his hobbies like stamp collecting and puzzles because he can no longer do them. I think no longer being able to drive has hit him hardest. How is your dad coping with it?

    Also I love cheese too am nibbling on some at the moment funny enough lol
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi and welcome to the community 

    I would get in touch with your local authority sensory team 

    He can register as blind and get certain support like free TV licence 

    The sensory team will help with gadgets and devices and how to adjust to being blind 

    Lots of tech out there to help things like alexa and voice activated devices 
  • Morris_likes_Cheese
    Morris_likes_Cheese Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    My dad is losing his too and he has found it very scary indeed. The affect on him has been difficult to watch and he has given up most of his hobbies like stamp collecting and puzzles because he can no longer do them. I think no longer being able to drive has hit him hardest. How is your dad coping with it?

    Also I love cheese too am nibbling on some at the moment funny enough lol
    Hello .. I’m sorry to hear about your Dad - I agree it’s very difficult to watch & adapt too. 

    My Dad is in his late 90s & is also deaf he has unfortunately given up on everything - except nice food. 
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
    edited May 2022
    Hello @Morris_likes_Cheese

    Welcome to the community, great username :) 

    It can take a while to adapt to living with sight loss, and at first it can feel quite disheartening when you realise you can't do certain things as well as you used to, but I hope that your dad will learn to manage and will find different ways of doing things he enjoys. 

    RNIB run some living with sight loss courses that I've heard good things about, so it might be worth reading up on those.  Deafblind UK also have a helpline that can talk you through everything from benefits to coping with daily tasks, you can find their details here.

    Just to clarify regarding the TV licence that for those registered blind it is a half price licence as detailed on this page :) 

     

    I hope to see you getting involved more around the community. This is a very supportive and welcoming site to be a part of so I’m hopeful that you’ll find it to be a positive outlet. Feel free to have a look around and get involved wherever you’d like 😊 A few notable pages I’d recommend visiting would be:

    • The virtual coffee lounge which is one of our categories, in which we play games and talk about general subjects such as hobbies and interests
    • The recent discussions page, which shows an overview of everything happening across the community
    • The categories page, which shows a full list of discussion groups on the community

    If you have any questions at all then don’t hesitate to ask.


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  • Biblioklept
    Biblioklept Community member Posts: 4,645 Disability Gamechanger
    My dad is losing his too and he has found it very scary indeed. The affect on him has been difficult to watch and he has given up most of his hobbies like stamp collecting and puzzles because he can no longer do them. I think no longer being able to drive has hit him hardest. How is your dad coping with it?

    Also I love cheese too am nibbling on some at the moment funny enough lol
    Hello .. I’m sorry to hear about your Dad - I agree it’s very difficult to watch & adapt too. 

    My Dad is in his late 90s & is also deaf he has unfortunately given up on everything - except nice food. 
    I can understand that giving up on everything, same with my dad and he's much younger in his early 70s. His mobility is also gone due to disability and that coupled with his sight I think he's struggling with what a change it has made to his life
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    I am 54 and in a wheelchair and severely vision  impaired the sight loss is more disabling in my opinion 

    But as mentioned before my local sensory team were really good giving me aids and tips and helping me get out to local shops docs etc independent 

    Can't do that now as Mt sight is worse and not safe to operate my electric chair 
  • Morris_likes_Cheese
    Morris_likes_Cheese Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    My dad is losing his too and he has found it very scary indeed. The affect on him has been difficult to watch and he has given up most of his hobbies like stamp collecting and puzzles because he can no longer do them. I think no longer being able to drive has hit him hardest. How is your dad coping with it?

    Also I love cheese too am nibbling on some at the moment funny enough lol
    Hello .. I’m sorry to hear about your Dad - I agree it’s very difficult to watch & adapt too. 

    My Dad is in his late 90s & is also deaf he has unfortunately given up on everything - except nice food. 
    I can understand that giving up on everything, same with my dad and he's much younger in his early 70s. His mobility is also gone due to disability and that coupled with his sight I think he's struggling with what a change it has made to his life
    Change in eyesight & mobility is very difficult - I try to keep my Dad as entertained as possible … but I am running out of interesting stories & distractions. 
  • Morris_likes_Cheese
    Morris_likes_Cheese Community member Posts: 6 Listener
    edited May 2022
    janer1967 said:
    I am 54 and in a wheelchair and severely vision  impaired the sight loss is more disabling in my opinion 

    But as mentioned before my local sensory team were really good giving me aids and tips and helping me get out to local shops docs etc independent 

    Can't do that now as Mt sight is worse and not safe to operate my electric chair 
    My Dad would love to be let loose on a electric mobility scooter - but he wouldn’t be safe. I will findout about the sensory team - thank you 
  • Jo_2022
    Jo_2022 Community Volunteer Host Posts: 298 Pioneering
    Hello @Morris_likes_Cheese! 😁 Sending you a virtual wave 👋. It is lovely to have you join us and share your experiences.

    I am so sorry to hear about your Dad becoming blind. I recognise coming to terms with a permanent disability like sight impairment can be devastating.

    I hope you have found the information everyone has provided helpful.

    Me too, cheese is one of my favourite snacks! 

    Community Volunteer Host with a passion for human rights.


    Please note: if I use the online community outside of its hours of administration, I am doing so in a personal capacity only.

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