title: Effects of a multidisciplinary group rehabilitation programme on participation of the visually impaired elderly: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To pilot test the newly developed multidisciplinary group rehabilitation programme Visually Impaired elderly Persons Participating (VIPP).
  
  
  METHODS
  A single group pretest-posttest design pilot study included 29 visually impaired persons (≥ 55 years). The intervention (20 weekly meetings) consisted of four components (practical training; education, social interaction, counselling and training of problem-solving skills; individual and group goal setting; home-based exercise programme). Participation was assessed with the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (USER-P) and the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) questionnaire at baseline, immediately and 6 months after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At scale level, no statistical significant changes over time were found whereas the effect size indicated small effects for restrictions and satisfaction with participation, and a medium effect for autonomy outdoors. At item level, improvements tended to occur in frequency of housekeeping, in restrictions in housekeeping and outdoor activities and in satisfaction with the partner relationship. Satisfaction with leisure indoors and autonomy regarding using leisure time tended to increase as well.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tentative conclusion of this small-scale pilot study is that the VIPP programme modestly benefits perceived restrictions in participation, satisfaction with participation and autonomy outdoors of the visually impaired elderly. These preliminary findings warrant further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Netherlands. m.a.alma@umcg.nl
authors.forename: Manna A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alma
authors.forename: Johan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Groothoff
authors.forename: Bart J M
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Melis-Dankers
authors.forename: Marcel W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: Theo P B M
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Suurmeijer
authors.forename: Sijrike F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: van der Mei
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010358:Patient Participation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D058992:Social Participation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation