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Visual Disability in the Elderly: Implications for Visual Rehabilitation

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Ophthalmology and the Ageing Society

Part of the book series: Essentials in Ophthalmology ((ESSENTIALS))

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Abstract

When visual system disorders result in bilateral visual impairments, patients have difficulty performing their customary activities and experience a diminished quality of life (West et al. 2002). Visual impairments increase patients’ risk of falling (Ivers et al. 1998), injury (Salive et al. 1994), poor general health (Crews and Campbell 2001), depression (Casten et al. 2004), and even death (Pedula et al. 2006). Activity-limiting chronic visual impairments, collectively called “low vision,” most often are caused by age-related visual system disorders, with age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataract leading the list (Congdon et al. 2004). Some visual system disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy, are manifestations of more general disorders that frequently produce co-disabilities. But most low vision patients are elderly, so comorbidities and co-disabilities from diseases unrelated to their visual system disorders are common (Ahmadian and Massof 2008). Thus, for a large portion of the low vision population, activity limitations from visual impairments are superimposed on and worsen activity limitations from comorbidities (Langelaan et al. 2009).

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Acknowledgments

Conflict of interest: none; Ethical standards: Informed consent – not applicable: Animal rights – not applicable

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Robert W. Massof PhD, James T. Deremeik MA, CLVT, Judith E. Goldstein OD, Pradeep Y. Ramulu MD, MHS, PhD & Barbara S. Hawkins PhD

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Maureen G. Maguire PhD

  3. Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment, College of Education and Rehabilitation, Salus University, Elkins Park, PA, USA

    Duane R. Geruschat PhD, COMS, CLVT

  4. Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Mary Warren PhD, OTR/L, SCLV

  5. Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ann-Margret Ervin PhD, MPH

  6. Blind Rehabilitation Center, Hines VA Medical Center, Hines, IL, USA

    Joan A. Stelmack OD, MPH

  7. Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kevin D. Frick PhD

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wilmer Eye Institute, John Hopkins University, N. Wolfe Street 600, Baltimore, 21287-9277, Maryland, USA

    Hendrik P.N. Scholl

  2. Lions Vision Research and Rehabilitation, Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, John Hopkins University, North Broadway 550, Baltimore, 21205, Maryland, USA

    Robert W. Massof

  3. Wilmer Eye Institute, Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, John Hopkins University, North Wolfe Street 600, Baltimore, 21287, Maryland, USA

    Sheila West

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Massof, R.W. et al. (2013). Visual Disability in the Elderly: Implications for Visual Rehabilitation. In: Scholl, H., Massof, R., West, S. (eds) Ophthalmology and the Ageing Society. Essentials in Ophthalmology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36324-5_15

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