Age-Related Vision Loss

Central vs Peripheral Vision

• Central vision is where we see detail

  • Ex: Reading street signs

• Peripheral vision helps us navigate, stay oriented, etc

  • Ex: Driving (without running into other cars)

Macular Degeneration

• Loss of central vision

  • Macula is damaged

    • Impairments:

    • Difficulty focusing during reading

    • Difficulty with fine motor tasks

    • Difficulty seeing faces and pictures

Macular Degeneration: Eccentric Viewing

• This an specific technique for this type of vision loss

  • Using peripheral vision to observe outside of central vision

    • Use for reading

Glaucoma

• Caused by damage to the optic nerve causing peripheral or side vision loss

  • “Vision narrowing”

    • Impairments:

      • Mobility issues

      • Blurriness

      • Muted colors

      • Results in tunnel vision

      • Good visual acuity b/c central vision is good

    • Intervention:

      • Don’t over do magnifiers

Diabetic Retinopathy comorbidities

• is a result of advanced diabetes

  • Also other comorbidities

    • Distal sensory loss

    • Amputations

    • Heart disease

    • Stroke

Diabetic Retinopathy

• starts as floaters or small blind spots

  • Eventually progresses to vision loss

    • Can be call “scotomas”

      • Impairments

        • Reduced contrast sensitivity, limited color vision

        • Preference for MODERATE LIGHTING

Cataracts

• cloud over the lens of the eye causing blurriness

  • It’s like looking through a plastic wrap

    • Impairments

      • Reduce visual acuity (progresses far to near)

      • Loss of contrast

      • Need more lighting

      • Issues with glare

Age-related Vision Loss KeyLine

• Macular Degeneration

  • Central Vision Loss

• Glaucoma

  • Peripheral Vision loss

    • Be careful to over do magnifiers

• Diabetic Retinopathy

  • Blind spots

    • Don’t like too much lighting

• Cataracts

  • Clouding

    • Likes lighting but watch for glare