Mom with mild dementia 92. Won't stop touching eyes. Always blood shot. Says they are itchy but I think just bad habit. Tried drops and cold comprsses. I tell her she will get infections if she keeps it up. She already has severe macular degeneration. Any advice?
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Anyway, the ONE bit of helpful advice i have, is that two different Drs told me not to use generic eye drops. Any of the reputable brands are fine, but apparently the generic eye drops use a lower quality preservative that can have particles big enough to scratch your cornea. I didn't realize that at first and had been using a store brand to save money.
Give her something to keep her hands busy and out of her eyes. Play music or the radio to give her mind something to focus on.
Dementia patients can get into "do loops" of behavior. My Gram used to pat her thighs rhythmically. It helped to interrupt the "do loop" by introducing another option: folding towels, talking about current events, asking her to set the table with napkins and eating utensils (butter knives only for knives) ...
Good luck to you, I hope you find peace on this journey.
I have noticed a lot of patients with macular do tend to have red or bloodshot eyes.(I was an Optician prior to entering that damn phone booth and becoming Super Caregiver for mom). Different factors of the disease can cause redness. And while your mom’s constant touching her eyes most likely is a big factor in the redness, itching may not exactly be the culprit instead it may be the only reason she feels is acceptable when it could be her trying to ‘focus’ or ‘adjust’ her vision. I have observed various actions of patients at various stages of macular, and many of them rubbed touched etc their eyes. You’re doing best with the compresses and also continue to ensure her patties (hands) are as clean as possible using soap and water and nail brush if needed but NOT hand sanitizers- can cause further irritation. Hope this helps and have a great day!
xoxoxo
susan
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but do talk to her optometrist about this.