Changes in Vision

LunaCat

My DH has LBD. He is experiencing trouble with his vision. He had cataract surgery in 2017. He wears glasses for reading and glasses for distance. He tells me he is having trouble with, what I’ll call, his mid-range vision. For example; he can’t identify the cat sitting on a chair four or five feet from him unless she moves; he can’t read words on a white board at six feet when at day care. He says neither of his glasses help at these distances. He recently had trouble reading a menu with his reading glasses. He has a neurologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, and regular ophthalmologist - all of whom he has seen within the past year.  None of them could identify a specific problem. Of course, he can’t explain to the doctors what he experienced because of his memory loss. He doesn’t even acknowledge there is a problem in their offices. I thought maybe bifocals or transition lenses may help, but there would be that struggle during the adjustment period. I’m afraid they would go down the same path as his hearing aids and end up in the drawer unused.  

I’m at my wits end with this. As I’m sure you all know, when it’s happening, my DH wants it fixed right then. I sincerely believe there is a problem, but I don’t know how to help. Has anyone had similar experiences? Any suggestions on what next? Is this just part of the journey?

M1

Hi LC, I wonder if this is a version of "visual anosognosia," where the problem isn't in his vision but in his brain's ability to recongnize what it sees.  My partner has it; last night while petting our dog she asked me where he was.  Happens all the time too with "where is the coffee pot?" and similar when she is staring right at it.  Happens frequently with noises too.

Iris L.

M1 wrote:

Hi LC, I wonder if this is a version of "visual anosognosia," where the problem isn't in his vision but in his brain's ability to recongnize what it sees.  

Yes this is what it sounds like.  Actually, the term is visual "agnosia."  

Safety is a big concern, especially with driving.

Iris 

Joe C.

I had to stop giving DW treats to give to the dog because sometimes would try to eat them.

Neverends

My mother does the same thing and has been for a while. Had cataract  surgery years ago when she was more functional  but it was trying to say the least. Had laser surgery  too but that was a fiasco  trying to make her sit still and not move a muscle. She will not wear her glasses either . I'm done with eye doctors for her , too stressful for her and me with no positive outcome. Letting nature take its course.

LunaCat

Thanks for the info. It’s given me a starting point to do some research and a topic I can discuss with his doctor. It’s a great help when I can understand what’s going on with him. Thanks again for the help.

Kenzie56

My MIL had LBD and also had problems with her vision.  Her sense of smell went first then her vision. If she saw patio furniture out the window, she thought they were stick people or stick dogs just sitting there. She wasn't able to read - she said there were white dots in the words and puzzles were a blur of colors. When this first started happening, we took her to several specialists, but they said her eyes were fine. She had already had cataract surgery, so we tried out reading glasses which did not help. With LBD, she experienced hallucinations, delusions, etc., and Seroquel was helpful to get rid of the people in her room - but it didn't help her vision. In other words, the hallucinations (people, children, animals) were clear to her - but when she talked about her eyesight...it did seem like a symptom of her dementia. When she would always ask to see the eye doctor, we would tell her that her appointment was next month and that helped until the next time she asked. In contrast, my DH can't decode words to read, has trouble communicating what he sees - but his eyesight is fine in stage 6 (with mixed dementia). So, I guess it depends on the type of dementia and the area of the brain where the brain cells are dying. Fiblets would be my suggestion unless he is still at the stage where he can use a calendar. Good luck!