The effect of rehabilitation service use on coping patterns over time among older adults with age-related vision loss.
OBJECTIVE
To enhance our understanding of coping and rehabilitation in the context of adaptation to disability by examining how coping may change over a two-year time period, and how different vision rehabilitation services may affect coping over time.


METHODS
Longitudinal two-wave study (baseline and two-year follow-up).


METHODS
Vision rehabilitation agency.


METHODS
Older adults with visual impairment.


METHODS
In-person interviews using structured assessments of functional vision loss and functional disability, rehabilitation service use and coping strategies.


RESULTS
Ninety-five people participated in both study waves. Findings showed change in patterns of coping over the two-year period of the study, as participants adjusted to living with age-related vision loss. Although instrumental coping was the only coping mode with evidence for average change (a decrease), affective and escape/distraction strategies showed individual variation in change over time. Rehabilitation use explained variance in coping at time 2 over and above impairment status and coping at time 1. Those who used a greater number of assistive aids between time points were likely to report more instrumental coping at time 2, and those who used counselling between time points were likely to report more affective coping at the two-year follow-up. Finally, those who used more optical aids were likely to report more escape/distraction coping at time 2, whereas those who saw a low vision specialist tended to report less of this type of coping over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that rehabilitation interventions can affect coping patterns over time, and that direction and magnitude of such an effect may depend on the type of rehabilitation received.
Boerner
Kathrin
K
Arlene R Gordon Research Institute, Lighthouse International, 111 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA. KBoerner@Lighthouse.org
Reinhardt
Joann P
JP
Horowitz
Amy
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*