Risks of Low Vision in Older Adults

If you are a caregiver for an older adult one of the many things you should be mindful of is the need to pay attention to your loved one’s vision. Low vision in older adults is a significant health concern, with nearly 1 in 4 adults over 71 experiencing visual impairment. This risk increases with age. There are many age-related causes of vision loss as people age: age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

Vision loss can have unanticipated impacts on older adults. Some of the most common problems are falls, leading to bone fractures. Broken hips caused by falls result in premature death in an alarming number of people. Research indicates that 33% of older people who break their hips in a fall, die within 12 months of falling. Additionally, fractured hips in older adults frequently result in extended stays in rehabilitation centers and in some cases, individuals never regain the ability to return to their homes.

Another association between vision loss and complications in aging is dementia. There is a documented relationship between vision loss and cognitive decline in older adults. The relationship arises from the social isolation occurring when individuals with low vision have a decrease in brain stimulation resulting from social isolation. When the brain isn’t stimulated by interacting with others, decline sets in. Research reveals that when individuals have low vision, they are less likely to participate in social activities, thereby opening the door to social isolation.

A third and very significant impact can be medication error. Reduced vision can prevent an older adult from accurately reading a prescription bottle resulting in taking too much or too little medication. Thirty-five (35%) percent of medication errors in older adults are attributable to low vision.

What can you do as a caregiver to prevent the negative impacts of low vision? There are a few tips:

·Annual eye exam to identify problems and treat those that can be remediated

·Adequate lighting to increase ability to read labels and recognize fall risks

·Home safety check to identify and remove risks resulting from depth perception problems; loss of peripheral vision; glare; and cloudy images

·Monitor medication intake using medication safety devices