Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Low Vision Rehabilitation for the Elderly

            As older adults age it is quite a common occurrence for them to experience changes in their vision. What was once may have appeared clear is now blurry. These older adults might take this as a sign that they need to get their glasses changed.  However, for some individuals this vision loss is more severe and cannot be corrected by glasses or contacts. In older adults, macular degeneration is an age related disease that destroys one’s central vision, leading to low vision (Medline Plus).  A new specialty of occupational therapy is looking to teach individuals with low vision how they can improve their engagement in occupations such as reading and writing.

            Low vision can greatly affect how one can perform daily activities such as reading, writing, and even dressing. Being unable to perform these significant daily tasks could be devastating to an older adult. Therefore, a new occupational therapy intervention program is seeking to introduce tools and exercises that can assist them through these occupations.

            The occupational therapist can provide patients with low vision exercises that can help to improve the accuracy and speed of their reading. Therapists can also suggest devices such as certain magnifying glasses that can help these individuals be more successful at reading and also show them how to properly use the devices. By improving their participation in such occupations, the program promotes independence and can raise the individuals overall sense of well being. This area of occupational therapy is relatively new but very promising in helping older adults live with and improve their vision problems.

Marowitz, M. (2006). Occupational therapy interventions in low vision rehabilitation. Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology, 41, 340-347.

Medline Plus. Macular degeneration. Retrieved 29 April 2009. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/maculardegeneration.html 

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Benefits of Occupational Therapy for Older Adults with Dementia

Dementia is defined as a loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that can interfere with a person’s daily activities (WebMD). There are many diseases that can cause dementia but the most common and debilitating cause is Alzheimer’s disease.  Dementia is estimated to affect 5-8% of the elderly population over 65 and over 50% of older adults in their 80s. A recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology reveals several benefits that community occupational therapy can have on dementia patients and on their caregivers.

  The participants in this study consisted of community-dwelling patients who were aged 65 or older and had mild-to-moderate dementia. The patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention, which included providing the patient with occupational therapy sessions at home, or the control group, which received no occupational therapy. The therapy sessions consisted of compensatory strategies to adapt a person’s daily activities with their level of ability and environmental strategies in which the therapist modified the patient’s environment to allow them to be more successful with their disabilities.

After just 6 weeks of intervention, the group who received occupational therapy had an overall better health status and mood. The caregivers of these patients also showed improvements in their mood and expressed improvements in their sense of control over life.

These results could prove very helpful to both patients and caregivers of individuals suffering from dementia. This can provide hope to families who are feeling the devastating affects that the disease has caused to their loved one as well as to the rest of the family. Although the occupational therapy program does not promise a cure from dementia it helps both caregivers and patients learn on how to adapt one’s life around the symptoms. The therapists provide the tools for these individuals to live healthier lives with their disability.

Graff, M. J. L., Vernoij-Dassen M. J. M., Thijssen, M., Dekker J., Hoefnagels W. H. L. & OldeRikkert M. G. M. (2007). Effects of community occupational therapy on quality of life, mood, and health status in dementia patients and their caregivers: A randomized controlled trail. The Journals of Gerontology, 62A, 1002-1009.

WebMD. Alzheimer's disease. http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia.

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