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My father is 90 yrs old, still alert, active, and avid reader. Two days ago, he started having depth perception issues. He can see the counter, or doorway, yet will walk into them. He's frightening himself with this new issue. He has banged his knee, hands, elbow. He is familiar with his home and its layout, yet cannot distinguish the doorways, counters or hallway. Could this be vision-based or neurological?

I so hope the OP has made an appt. If you put my Mom on a straight sidewalk she would veer to the left. I told her neurologist, he had her go down the hall and saw what I meant. She had lost the perifrial visionbin that eye, She was tested by her Opthamalogist to see if a stroke was involved, there wasn't. It was chalked up to her Denentia.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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It’s almost certainly vision based and because vision in one eye is very much worse than the other. See an opthamologist.
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Reply to Elainera
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Yes to seeing an opthalmologist. But is he taking any drugs or drug combinations that could be causing this? Sometimes medications that seem innocuous can affect older adults in strange ways. Found this out with my 91 year old mother and rhabdomyolysis. Statin + antibiotic and she ended up on the floor delirious and unable to stand up. So I'd look at every medication he takes and think long and hard about them. My other worry would be that he hit his head. I once had a subdural hematoma and my vision went bananas. Several weeks after I hit it. I thought I was fine. So check for that first. That is more of an emergency. Don't mean to frighten you. Eliminate the scary stuff first. The brain is terribly complicated.
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Reply to dredk1
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dredk1 Feb 24, 2025
Something like a subdural hematoma is pretty much reversible. Can cause havoc depending on location in the brain. But has he bumped his head lately? Can happen to anyone at any age.
Old people fall and get back up. Sometimes they break a hip. Bad news. But sometimes a little bump on the head is forgotten afterwards. That goose egg goes away. Then weird things can happen days or weeks later.

But that isn't all doom and gloom really. This type of thing doesn't signal the beginning of the end. Never look for the rarest disorder if a more common disorder hasn't been ruled out first is how I regard this stuff.
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Get his vision checked today - which is easier to accomplish. If no ocular problems identified then take him to ER or neurologist. Since problems have been ongoing, it would be hard to reverse if it was neurological.
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Reply to Taarna
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Could be. The question is, what to do now?
As mentioned above, get medically assessed.
In addition, I would ensure that he is not left alone, when walking around.

He would benefit from a walking stick or a cane.

Gena / Touch Matters
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Reply to TouchMatters
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Get full evaluation by doctors for vision and general health conditions.
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Reply to Patathome01
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Does he Have cataracts ? Might be time to see the eye doctor .
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Reply to KNance72
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daughterPattee: He needs to see a neurologist.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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Yes, depth perception can and often does decrease with age. It may lead to falls etc. First, an ophthalmologist should be consulted to be certain the change in depth perception is not caused by something else. I used to jokingly kid my husband that he was getting clumsy and now I notice I often drop things etc. I’m an old (86) year old retired RN and checked with my ophthalmologist. AARP has a Driver Safety course where they mention changes in depth perception.
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Reply to jwellingtoncat
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Changes in vision, specifically peripheral vision and depth perception can be part of Alzheimer's or other dementias, but you don't mention whether your father has a dementia diagnosis or symptoms. One thing memory care facilities do to make things easier for their residents is use high contrast colors or at home you can just add some colored duct tape to edges of counters, tables, etc. that seem to be particularly troublesome.
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Reply to KatyAdams
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I would recommend getting his ears checked.

I have had this phenomenon my entire life when I am having ear problems.

I have always had depth perception challenges until I got glasses.

Two different causes for me walking into stuff.
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Reply to Isthisrealyreal
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Please continue with his neurological check-up. I also suggest getting an Occupational Therapy consultation. They are experts in addressing neurological issues including spatial awareness & depth perception deficits.
In the meantime, you may purchase neon-colored tape; using each color to highlight the edges of countertops, cabinets & any other areas he may bump into….see how that works but be sure to continue to seek help
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Reply to CSHinfo
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Find the best Glaucoma specialist. They will screen for more than one eye disease. They can also direct you to other specialists such as neurologists.
Due to visual field problems caused by Glaucoma and other eye disease it is not uncommon for the edge of one's vision to be impaired. At an early stage the patient frequently does not notice the defect. It is called a silent disease. Please be hopeful because there is tremendous medical help and cutting-edge science that can slow the progress of many eye dieses. If you rule out eye disease stay on course for a full medical work up to investigate other causes. I wish you and your dad the very best,
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Reply to liz1906
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So sorry to hear this. I had a similar experience with my father-in-law. He was going great until he hit 90 and then "stuff" started to happen. For us, it was fall related. I can't speak to your dad's diagnosis, and others have already made great suggestion - but consider, as well, getting him a fall detection medical alert device (if that makes sense for your situation). We got my FIL a Kanega Watch after doing a lot of research. It made the most sense for him and it totally did the job. If you think your dad would most likely wear a watch regularly (maybe he already does so), this site is helpful for comparison options: https://bestfalldetection.watch/. We also were swayed by the Wirecutter review of this category. Hope this is helpful. All the best in your difficult journey.
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Reply to Livingsum
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It's possible he had a stroke and lost some or all of his vision in one eye. This would definitely affect his depth perception. Or, he may have sepsis, which can create neurological side-effects. My 100+yr old Aunt had sepsis (unbeknownst to us) and one day woke up and her vision was flipped. The ceiling was the floor, the floor was the ceiling. She was treated for the infection and her proper vision returned.

But I agree with others that he needs to have testing to narrow down the possibilities of causes.
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Reply to Geaton777
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this would be cause for concern for me.
I would contact an eye DOCTOR (an Ophthalmologist NOT an Optometrist)
right away or a trip to Urgent Care (they would probably send you to the ER though.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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It could be neuro but it could be a sudden vision change caused by many things. I would start with the vision exam. If you aren't seeing balance issues yet start with the eyes, and if that checks out without a reason I would move to the MD and explain this well as you are able, and any issues of balance and etc.
Good luck with your followup here.
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