16 Ways to Modify Your Home if You Have Diabetic Macular Edema

Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the leading cause of vision loss in people who have diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes, according to the National Eye Institute. Caused by damage to the small blood vessels in the back of the eye, DME can put you at risk for a fall or other accident at home. That’s where a vision specialist can help.

“We can visit our clients at home and try to find ways to simplify their everyday routines,” says Kristen Shifflett, an occupational therapist who specializes in low vision at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “For example, we can practice reading medication labels with them and help them distinguish between different colors of clothing.”

Adapting to changes in vision can take some time, she explains, but altering your living space to keep yourself organized and safe will help you gain the most independence. “You have to feel comfortable in your home environment, so you can take that confidence to the rest of your everyday activities,” Shifflett says. Here are a few modifications you can make to each room in your home.

In the living room

Whether reading, relaxing, or watching TV, you probably do many of your favorite activities in your living room. Try to keep it as well lit as possible.

• Find your ideal lighting. Use window blinds to adjust the amount of sunlight that enters the room, and use table and floor lamps for more targeted or direct light. Most important, “Keep a continuous amount of light in each room,” says Shifflett. “It’s hard for your eyes to adjust from a bright living room to a dark hallway and back again.” Alternatively, you can install motion-sensing lights, which will turn lights on and off automatically and save you some money on your electric bill. Shifflett also suggests using a gooseneck lamp to bring lighting closer to whatever task you are working on, as well as lights that are adjustable in color and intensity. Some bright lights can look too harsh, she says, so try choosing ones with cooler or warmer tones.
• Decorate with contrasting colors. It can be hard for people with DME to differentiate similar colors, says Shifflett, which can make you more likely to trip or injure yourself by bumping into a piece of furniture. To lessen the chance of a fall, contrast the colors of your furniture with that of your floor or carpeting, and use brightly colored or patterned pillows on the sofa and chair cushions. For example, if you have a dark couch near a dark wall, put a lighter-colored pillow or blanket on top of the couch cushions.
• Embrace minimalism. Remove any throw rugs or low-lying furniture that may cause you to trip, and make sure any electrical cords and other clutter are stashed away from high-traffic areas.
• Mark your stairwell. “People usually fall when they miss the last step,” says Shifflett. Use high-contrast colored tape to indicate the first and last stairs, she says, or tie brightly colored scarves to the ends of the handrail. Just be sure not to apply something to the step itself, which can cause you to slip and fall, she says.

In the bedroom

The bedroom is one of the most used areas of your home. Keep it as clutter free and organized as you can.

• Buy color-contrasting pillows and covers. Top your white bedcover with a plaid blanket or some striped throw pillows.
• Rearrange your furniture. Keep a clean, unobstructed path from the door to your bed. Any high-traffic areas should be free of electrical cords and footstools.
• Organize your clothes. Hang your garments on colored hangers, and store blue and black clothes on opposite sides of your closet, says Shifflett. “Some people also use a safety pin to denote black clothes from blue ones,” she says. “They’ll say, ‘The black pants have a safety pin or tag on them, and the blue ones don’t.’” There are also devices, such as the Talking Label Wand, that create audio labels for your belongings.

In the kitchen

Having low vision can make it hard to operate appliances and chop ingredients.

• Use a black or white cutting board, depending on what you’re chopping. “If you’re cutting garlic, use the black one; if you’re cutting bright-colored vegetables, use the white,” says Shifflett. “This gives you more contrast between the food and the board.”
• Designate areas of your fridge, pantry, and counter for certain foods. Start putting the milk on the same shelf of your refrigerator every time, storing canned goods in the same cabinet, and stashing your fruit in the same bowl on the counter, she says.
• Apply raised, colored dots to your appliances. Mark your microwave, oven, and dishwasher buttons with adhesive “bump dots,” or raised labels that you can feel with your fingers.
• Develop a labeling system. Tiny print can be hard to read. Buy large-print labels from the store for your cans and bottles. Or use raised glue or 3D paint. For example, abbreviate the names of spices with the first letter or first few letters — like C or CIN for cinnamon, says Shifflett.

In the bathroom

From water spills to loose bath mats, the bathroom can be a safety hazard for people with low vision.

• Use nonslip mats on the floor. You can also use double-sided tape to prevent the mat from sliding.
• Store your soaps and shampoos in plastic pump bottles. This way, you won’t have to fumble for a bar of soap on the edge of the bathtub. You can also use rubber bands to help distinguish between bottles — for example, one on the shampoo bottle and two on the conditioner.
• Use a nonskid mat in the shower. “If you have a white bathtub, go with a dark purple or navy mat,” says Shifflett. If you have a dark green shower, choose a white or cream-colored mat.
• Buy a colorful toilet seat. “Some people have trouble finding the toilet when they go to the bathroom,” says Shifflett. Consider swapping your white toilet seat for a darker color, such as blue or green.
• Use a makeup mirror. These mirrors can often be mounted on the wall, and many come in models that have a built-in light that can be adjusted for brightness.