Living with low vision: Strategies supporting daily activity

Stacy Smallfield, Sue Berger, Brooke Hillman, Paige Saltzgaber, Jarod Giger, Jennifer Kaldenberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to describe the strategies that older adults with low vision use to support daily living. A descriptive qualitative study of 10 older adults with low vision was conducted using semistructured, audio-recorded interviews. The data was coded and grouped into categories, and the findings were summarized. Four major themes were identified: (a) device nonuse; (b) sensory strategies and devices; (c) environmental strategies; and (d) resourcefulness. Older adults with low vision try many devices and strategies to find the ones that allowthem to participate in meaningful activity within their physical and social environment. These findings support the use of a client-centered, multicomponent, problem-solving approach to low vision rehabilitation to maximize performance of daily activity despite declining vision.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)312-328
Number of pages17
JournalOccupational Therapy in Health Care
Volume31
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 18 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Funding

This work was funded by a University of South Dakota Health Sciences Seed Grant. The authors would also like to acknowledge Kaitlin LaPlant, who assisted with minor editing of this manuscript.

FundersFunder number
Kaitlin LaPlant
University of South Dakota Health Sciences

    Keywords

    • Assistive technology
    • Environment
    • Low vision
    • Older adults
    • Problem solving

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Occupational Therapy

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