Rehabilitation options for patients with low vision.

Abstract

Loss of vision has a profound effect on an individual's life. Reduced visual function, whether present at birth or appearing later in life, greatly affects one's perception of useful existence. When medical intervention can no longer restore or maintain a person's functional vision, rehabilitative measures are necessary to enable that person to adjust both physically and psychologically to his or her sensory loss. Rehabilitation for low vision offers visually impaired individuals a renewed independence and productivity that will enable them to rejoin society as active participants. Often patients and healthcare providers are unaware of the rehabilitation options that are available to them. Low-vision devices such as magnifiers and telescopes, as well as counseling and vocational training, are among the available options. Rehabilitation nurses are particularly qualified to identify patients with reduced functional ability and to recommend an appropriate visual assessment that can lead to maximized residual vision.