Dementia and Depth Perception

This was and is a big fear for me. Noticing that Ma was "missing" things right in front of her. She’d reach for a cup or fork but wouldn’t be anywhere near it.

She would try to reach for the door handle and miss it.

She’d even miss steps on the stairs.

She could spot a crumb all the way across the room, but when it came to objects close by, like a cup, I had to guide her hand to find it.

I also found that clear glasses of water often went unnoticed.

After researching it, I learned this was a problem with depth perception, something that can happen as dementia progresses.

Here’s what I found:

Depth perception in dementia: A decrease in depth perception can make it hard to tell flat surfaces from raised surfaces. It affects balance and the ability to judge distances, which can make everyday activities riskier and impact quality of life.

I never really thought about it before, but our brain is just as important for "seeing" as our eyes are. Depth perception is part of how the brain and eyes work together.

When I was working, I spoke to an (amazing!) Optical Scientist who explained it to me.

Simply put, it works like this:

"When light hits the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye), tiny helper cells called photoreceptors turn the light into signals. These signals travel through the optic nerve to the brain, which turns them into the images we see. Both the brain and eyes need to work together to judge distances and see clearly."

Unfortunately, Ma’s dementia was affecting how her brain processed these signals, making it harder for her to judge distances or reach for objects accuratley. Someone from the mental health team once described it to me as “looking through binoculars....”

Desperate and wanting to make sure I covered every angle, I took her to an eye doctor, hoping there was a solution. She could read much of the eye chart, but he explained it wasn’t just her eyes – it was the dementia. :( He shared that his own mum faced similar challenges.

Also, if everything is the same colour (white on white) it was much more difficult for her. It was like a rainbow in our house. Many different colours of everything. And if it is white - I wrap it in red or pink ribbon.

This is some of the things I put in place:

Here's a link to Kitchen Safety Tips that may help too.

Decluttered the Environment: Keeping areas simple and clear helped her avoid tripping and reduced distractions.

Simplified Items: I removed anything fragile or that could easily cause injury.

Added Motion Lights: These helped guide her in the dim areas or at night.

Replaced Utensils/Plates with Bright Colours: I chose bright yellow plates, blue cups, and easy-to-see utensils so they were clearer for her to find.

Large Button Phone: Easy to use

Grab bars: I had a lot of these throughout the house.

Toilet Seat: Yes, even the toilet seat.

By making these small changes, I could reduce her frustration and help her navigate her surroundings. It will change as time goes on, so I adjusted as necessary.