Adapting to Vision Loss

Don’t let pride keep you from seeking help

Making use of local resources

Carrie Buss knows what a difference the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired can make. She got an enlarger from the organization to help her read, and she learned kitchen strategies at a Meals in Minutes class taught by vision rehabilitation therapist Dianne Michels.

Vision Checklist

Are you having any of the following problems because of vision loss?

• Reading the newspaper or other fine print, even while wearing glasses
• Moving around your home
• Traveling at night (seeing cars or curbs)
• Identifying money or paying bills
• Feeling sad, depressed or anxious

If so, click here for a list of vision organizations and resources that can help.

When Carrie Buss of Allentown first began losing her vision to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), she didn’t want to accept it. “It’s about pride,” says the 91-year-old Allentown woman. “You don’t want to tell people you can’t see.”

As her sight declined, though, she began having trouble with everyday tasks, such as identifying food items. She finally called the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Allentown. Soon, vision rehabilitation therapist Dianne Michels was at her door, ready to teach her new strategies for everything from cooking to crossing the street.

Nearly all of us experience vision loss as we age. Some is due to normal wear and tear and doesn’t interfere with everyday functioning. Problems like cataracts can be readily corrected. But sight impairment caused by serious
disorders, like AMD and glaucoma, can disrupt life and lead to blindness.

Unfortunately, many vision problems are too gradual to notice right away. People with AMD, for instance, may detect just a slight blurring at first, and glaucoma sufferers typically lose peripheral (side) vision before more obvious central vision. “By the time you finally recognize a change, the damage is already done,” says ophthalmologist Maz Kazahaya, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “We can usually slow or halt these conditions, especially if they’re caught early,” he says, “but we can’t reverse them.”

Like Buss, many people have trouble accepting permanent vision loss. “Often, they don’t seek help and suffer alone,” Michels says. The result can be feelings of depression, anger, grief and isolation.

The good news is that almost anyone can learn techniques to help them stay independent. Through the Association for the Blind’s free in-home rehabilitation program, you can get counseling and instruction on how to use assistive devices (such as magnifiers) recommended by your eye doctor. You also can learn simple strategies to make the most of your existing sight—for example, reducing visual clutter at home by decorating with solid
colors rather than patterns, or boosting light with task lamps and Ott lights (full-spectrum lamps that enhance true colors).

Michels used large-print labels to help Buss identify kitchen items. She taught her cooking tips, such as timing the sound of food sizzling in the pan to tell when a dish is done. Another therapist showed her how to climb stairs with a cane.

“This training has made a big difference in my life,” Buss says. “I wouldn’t be able to cook or do a lot of things. I even go out more now.”

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