Visuoperceptual difficulties

New word for what my mother is having.
She has a lot of these things going on and getting worse
by the week.
Sorry this is messed up, it is copied from a pdf...

 

Visuoperceptual difficulties in people with dementia
The specific difficulties a person experiences will depend on the type of dementia they have. This is because each type of dementia can damage the visual system in a different way.
Difficulties may include:
• decreased sensitivity to differences in contrast (including colour contrast such as black and white, and contrast between objects and background)
• reduced ability to detect movement
• changes to the visual field (how much you can see around the edge of your vision, while looking straight ahead)

• reduced ability to detect different colours (for example, a person may have problems telling the difference between blue and purple)
• changes to the reaction of the pupil to light
• problems directing or changing gaze
• problems with the recognition of objects, faces and colours
• loss of ability to name what has been seen • double vision
• problems with depth perception. Dementia can also result in difficulties with orientation. This in turn can lead to:
• bumping into things • swerving to avoid door frames • difficulties reaching for things within the visual environment (such as a cup of tea or door handle) • getting lost or disorientated, even in familiar environments.
Some noticeable consequences of the above changes include:
• difficulties reading and writing, doing puzzles or playing board games
• problems locating people or objects, even though they may be in front of the person – this may be because of other distracting visual information (such as patterned wallpaper) or because of a lack of colour contrast (for example, not seeing mashed potato on a white plate) • misinterpreting reflections – this may manifest as seeing an ‘intruder’ or refusal to go into a bathroom because reflections make it appear occupied • mistaking images on the TV for real people
• difficulty in positioning oneself accurately to sit down in a chair or on
the toilet – sometimes this difficulty is mistaken for incontinence
• appearing confused or restless owing to an environment that is visually over-stimulating and difficult to navigate.
 Visuoperceptual difficulties can also lead to problems moving around.
These problems can make a person fearful of falling and lead to them slowing down their movements while they try to walk safely.
If carers understand this, they can try to anticipate these situations, help explain what is being encountered, offer their arm for support, offer encouragement and slow down their own movements. Specific difficulties that people with dementia may have when moving  around include:
• misjudging distances and where objects are, even in familiar environments
• stepping very highly over carpet rods or shadows because the change in colour looks like a change in level
• difficulties going down stairs due to problems judging how many steps there are and where the next one is • avoiding shiny flooring because it appears wet or slippery