title: Challenges faced by older adults with vision loss: a qualitative study with implications for rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide an in-depth assessment of challenges faced by older adults with recent vision loss and to determine changes in the nature of these challenges over time for the purpose of informing the design of vision rehabilitation services.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal, qualitative study with three time points.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vision rehabilitation agency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and sixty-four older adults aged 65 with significant vision impairment due to age-related macular degeneration.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-person interviews conducted at baseline, one year and two years and coded using a qualitative analytical approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-ended questions assessing challenges faced due to vision loss in functional, social and psychological life domains.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost all participants reported a wide variety of challenges across all three domains with the most variety in the functional domain. Over a two-year period, functional challenges (e.g. using transportation) increased, social challenges (e.g. recognizing people) remained stable, and psychological challenges (e.g. negative affect) decreased overall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although functional challenges are predominant, social and psychological challenges are quite common and need to be addressed in vision rehabilitation. Rehabilitation planning should also consider that vision-related challenges can change over time.
authors.affiliation: Jewish Home Lifecare, Research Institute on Aging, The Guild Center for Research in Vision and Aging, New York, NY 10025, USA. vcimarolli@jewishhome.org
authors.forename: Verena R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Cimarolli
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boerner
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brennan-Ing
authors.forename: Joann P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D013997:Time Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*