‘My sight loss makes me a lot more vulnerable’
This is a comment that we often hear in the low vision clinic. Maybe you have experienced visual loss and you are worried that your sight loss will lead to a loss of independence as you can no longer read your mail or see the dials on your cooker. Maybe you have lost confidence in going out as you are scared to fall on uneven pavement or when negotiating steps and kerbs. This can stop you from doing your own shopping or going out to see your friends.
It is a well-known fact that loss of vision can increase your level of frailty and vulnerability. Social isolation, inability to access information, inability to carry out everyday tasks and a lack of cognitive stimulation can have a knock-on effect on independence and mental capacity, and this negative spiral continues to impact the level of frailty.
STOP the negative spiral!!
Did you know that if you had a good level of independence before visual loss, you can re-gain independence after visual loss when you get the right support at the right time?
Take for instance a lady I saw last week. She was registered as severely sight impaired and had to ask her neighbours to read her mail. Despite her visual difficulties, she maintained a fairly independent life style as she was using a symbol cane when she travelled by public transport and she had a number of kitchen gadgets and tactile stickers for her microwave to enable her to heat up ready-made meals. I prescribed an illuminated magnifier in my low vision clinic and put her in touch with the local group from the Macular Society and she commented:
‘ Attending this clinic made me feel better. I no longer have to ask my neighbour to read my mail. I have my independence back. I can sit down and read it myself. I can read my recipes again and start cooking healthier meals. And I can’t wait to meet other people with AMD. You have really cheered me up!’
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