General Tips

In the Kitchen

In the Bathroom

Personal Care

General Tips

After vision loss, all of our senses become more important. One of the best tips for daily living is just that: USE YOUR OTHER SENSES FULLY.

• Household sounds help indicate the location of a person or machine, equipment settings, how foods on the stove are cooking, and which doors or windows have to be closed as weather changes. Traffic sounds can help indicate traffic flow.
• Smell helps indicate if food is fresh or fully cooked; hot electrical smells warn of a potential fire; even coming rain or changing weather can have a unique smell.
• Taste distinguishes otherwise similar foods (like sugar and salt, or flour and powered sugar) to guard against cooking mistakes.
• Touch , even if no longer very sensitive, can distinguish many textures. Label containers with puffy paint or raised dots. A cane helps locate furniture and larger objects.
• Remaining vision is very useful, especially with strong color contrast (a black switch plate on a white wall, or a light table on a dark rug, for example).

Keeping your home comfortable is mostly a matter of keeping it:

• Predictable: furniture, adaptive equipment, and frequently used items like keys are kept in or returned to the same place, etc.
• Neat: no clutter in hallways or stairs, safe passage between rooms, etc.
• Safe: wires, cords, sharp corners, and hanging objects are away from main traffic areas, etc.

Many visually impaired people also recommend these general home tips:

• Workstations can be set up in each room. Gather together the most frequently used items so they’re handy.
• Puffy paint and raised bump dots are handy for marking thermostat settings, security system keypads, radios or TV stations settings or other controls that may be hard to see.
• Color contrast makes items more visible (for example, put dark placemats under white plates).
• Clean and dust systematically. Move around a room in a clockwise direction every time you clean, like professional cleaners do. Move from top to bottom in each section. Random cleaning may result in missed areas.
• Iron in the same pattern each time, too (for example, collar first, then cuffs, then sleeves, etc.). Some people wear an oven mitt on the guiding hand to avoid burns while ironing.
• A large-button telephone and sound amplifier, if needed, make phoning easier. Keep white paper and a bold marker by the phone for note taking.
• Maximize lighting in all rooms. Direct the light at the work being done, not at the eyes.
• Minimize glare throughout the house.

Here are some additional safety tips:

In the Kitchen

• Clear off counters, cooktop and tabletop for a safe working area.
• Check lighting and glare control frequently.
• Mark setting and controls on the stove and oven, microwave, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and other appliances with raised dots or puffy paint. Mark only the most frequently used settings, like “medium” or 350 degrees. A stove with controls on the front is safer than one with controls at the back (which requires reaching over the burners).
• Rubber bands, ribbon, electrical tape, puffy paint and large-print labels can you help you distinguish similar containers.
• Sort items on shelves: canned vegetables in one area, fruit in another, soups in another, etc.
• Organize the refrigerator and keep items in the same place consistently.
• Eye level is the place to keep most frequently used dishes, glasses and food items.
• Large-print cookbooks can be bought or made. Enlarge recipes on a photocopier or computer, or by writing them out with a broad black pen.
• Containers should be placed in the sink for pouring, especially with hot liquids.
• Use contrasting colors: white flour in a dark bowl, coffee in a white cup, etc.
• Bold markings or differing colors can help distinguish among measuring utensils.
• Extra-long oven mitts are more protective than potholders.
• Turn off and double-check appliance and heat sources for safety.
• Personal shopping assistance is available in many grocery stores, especially at off-peak times.

Useful Products for the Kitchen:

• Puffy paint and raised dots for marking
• Rubber bands for marking
• A broad marker pen
• Containers of varying shapes and sizes
• Extra-long oven mitts
• Flame tamer for stove burner
• Large-print measuring cups and spoons
• Liquid level indicator
• Large-print timer

In the Bathroom

• Check lighting and glare control frequently.
• Replace your glass with a plastic cup or paper cup dispenser.
• Medicines need extra care. Puffy paint, rubber bands, and broad marking pens are useful for labeling containers. Many pharmacies sell the “talking Rx” device, containing a recording of the doctor or pharmacist’s prescription information. Throw away old or outdated medicines promptly.
• Eliminate glass containers by transferring products to reusable plastic ones.
• Grab-bars, safety handles and non-slip mats are essential in wet areas.
• A lighted magnifying mirror can help with shaving or makeup application.
• Toothpaste can be squeezed onto your finger or directly into your mouth.

Useful Products for the Bathroom:

• Plastic containers in many shapes and sizes
• Pill splitter
• Liquid medication guide
• Talking thermometer
• Talking blood pressure monitor
• Talking diabetes monitoring equipment
• Talking scale
• Lighted magnifying mirror

Personal Care

Useful Products for Personal Care:

• Braille or shaped clothing tags
• Needle threader