[Value and practice of in-home "low-vision" rehabilitation in Rhone-Alp region of France].
BACKGROUND
To demonstrate the interest of patient's home orthoptist deplacement to realize an in-home low-vision rehabilitation and encourage orthoptists to integrate this task in their usual work methods.


METHODS
Eighty-five consecutive patients coming from a private ophthalmic rehabilitation Center and needing low-vision rehabilitation, were studied. The exercises used at patient's home were usually the same as those used in the rehabilitation Center. The choice in the organization of rehabilitation was always function of patient general health, people vicinity, and social context.


RESULTS
Among the 85 patients, 60 (70.6%) were rehabilitated only in the ophthalmic Center, 11 (12.9%) could have a low-vision rehabilitation only thanks to the organization of the home's patient rehabilitation and 14 (16.5%) were both rehabilitated at the ophthalmic Center and, in the patient's home, some training was necessary too. The reasons for in-home low-vision rehabilitation were mainly represented by isolation problems, mobilisation physical capacities, but also, home installation conditions making difficult to realize the orthoptist recommendations.


CONCLUSIONS
Besides some disadvantages: time-consuming, badly paid, decrease of efficiency in familiar environment, advantages are easily objected: ergonomy, training on optic systems, and psychological comfort.


CONCLUSIONS
In-home low-vision rehabilitation is represented by the necessity of correctly taking care of each patient. It is an answer to a social demand and must be an integral part of low-vision orthoptist work.
Dubois
E
E
Centre Ophtalmologique Rabelais, 12-14, rue Rabelais, 69003 Lyon, France.
Pesenti
C
C
Mauget-Faÿsse
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005602:France; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000534:rehabilitation*