For the first time, Home Instead Senior Care is offering free resources and tools regarding sensory loss to the Owensboro community. Home Instead’s website provides tools that include an online sensory loss stimulation and instructions on how to create a do-it-yourself Aging Senses Kit.
According to Home Instead, sensory loss is incredibly common as people age. In fact, 83 percent of older adults living in the United States experience sensory loss on a daily basis.
Owensboro has a large population of seniors, many of whom likely deal with sensory loss on a daily basis. According to the World Population Review’s website, more than 10,000 of the city’s 44,807 adults are senior citizens.
Even more, Home Instead says our world is not designed to accommodate those living with these challenges, which can lead to social isolation, depression and declining physical health.
“Imagine what it would be like to no longer see well enough to drive a car or hear what your loved one was saying from across the room,” said Home Instead’s Mollie Dougherty. “Consider how you would feel if you lost the ability to taste your favorite meal or smell fresh baked cookies during the holidays.”
Home Instead’s Aging Senses program was developed to increase awareness and create a broader understanding of the daily challenges faced by someone with sensory impairment, with the hope of creating a more inclusive and aging-friendly world.
The online simulation provided by Home Instead helps people understand what it would be like to cook with limited vision. According to the National Eye Institute, most people either have cataracts or have had cataract eye surgery by age 80.
Home Instead’s website offers tips for living with sensory loss, things you can do to protect your senses, and how to maintain independence despite sensory loss.
