Vision Loss and Family

Dealing with low vision and vision impairments can be a very trying experience, especially in a family setting. Tensions can run high creating anxiety and frustration bringing relationships to what seems to be near a breaking point. Who is to blame? No one and everyone is to blame that is who.

Family and friends just want to help their loved one or friend. The low vision sufferer just wants to maintain a sense of independence along with their pride.  And this is where a problem can occur.

People who have lived most of the their lives with normal vision or vision that was easily corrected with glasses, contacts or surgery, can find it difficult to deal with the idea of losing their sense of sight, a sense that they have depended on greatly for most of their lives. Once a person realizes that they are losing a sense that they have depended on much of their lives, they can often be afflicted with anxiety and slip into depression. Adding to this is the loss of independence when they have to rely on others for common everyday tasks and have to give up hobbies and activities.

But no problem, the vision loss sufferer has family and friends to help. But there are problems. The vision loss sufferer has pride that has been carefully built and forged over many years of independence. This pride has been carefully constructed to help to protect the delicate psyche within the sufferer and you cannot affect one without the other.

Family members and friends can lead busy lives. They can be committed to work, family and other interests. They are always rushing from here to there and seemingly always be short on time. Or, they may just not have the knowledge needed to overcome pride.

So what can be done? Exhibiting patience and understanding is what can be done. Whether you are the vision loss sufferer, a family member or friend, patience and understanding is almost always the key.

If you are the vision loss sufferer, you may have to swallow a little bit of your pride. Not all at once, but a little at a time. You know how much you can chew off at a time. Take the time to realize that people are trying to help you but may not know how or maybe the pressures of their busy lives makes them seem insensitive when really all they want to do is help. Explain your feelings and how your vision loss has affected you and ask for time to adapt. Let them know that you are grateful for their help but that after being independent for so long, it may take some time to get use to the idea of needing help.

Family members and friends need to understand that vision loss can be traumatic and affect sufferers in many ways including anxiety and depression. If you have not experienced vision loss, it is not only hard to understand how the vision loss affects daily living, but how it affects other aspects of the sufferers well being. It is not uncommon for sufferers to exhibit symptoms of withdrawal and irritability similar to someone quitting a drug, smoking or alcohol.

Again, patience and understanding is the key. If the vision loss sufferer is resistant to change, understand their needs and make suggestions that suit their need and then let them think about the change. Give them a chance to warm up to new ideas. For example; it can be hard for a sufferer to admit that they need an aid for their vision loss. In this case, locate and suggest aids that have a trial period and can be returned if the user does not like it rather than showing up with a device and saying “Look what I got you”. Some aids can be difficult to learn how to use either by the nature of the device or because of other limitations of the sufferer. Be patient and allow them time to learn the device at their own pace. On occasions, it may be necessary to leave them alone with the device and let them explore its use without having the pressure or distraction of someone near by.

One subject that we have not touched upon is the financial hardship that can be created by meeting the daily needs of a vision loss sufferer. Vision aids can be very expensive. For some, the expense of aids to help with day to day living is not an issue. But, for others, this expense can be devastating. Sure, magnifying glasses and similar devices are relatively inexpensive, but it is not unusual for someone suffering from Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma or similar illnesses to reach a point of vision loss where these simple devices just do not provide enough magnification. In this case, you should know that there are affordable alternatives available. Again, you must understand the needs of the sufferer when choosing one of these alternatives.
Though it can be trying, patience and understanding is truly the key. And do not be afraid to seek out side help. There are many great international, national and local organizations that are dedicated to helping those afflicted with vision loss.

Written and published by Tony Vaughn June 4th 2010

Choosing a Vision Aid

Whether you are choosing a vision aid for yourself or someone else it can be a difficult task. As you will learn, the severity of vision loss, what the vision aid is to be used for and the physical capabilities of the user must all be considered along with personal preference.

Choosing a vision aid is typically easier for those with less severe vision loss. There are many magnifying glasses, globes, domes etc on the market ranging from the very inexpensive to the expensive. Once vision loss becomes more severe, these devices can decrease in their usefulness or may not work for the user at all.

A popular but more expensive vision aid is the Video Magnifier. Video Magnifiers utilize a small video camera and an image is projected onto a TV or video screen. Since Video Magnifiers use a camera, they are capable of much, much higher powers of magnification than other types of devices making them beneficial to individuals with more severe vision loss. Video Magnifiers can also include several different options to accommodate a user’s needs such as changing the color of the print and background, mirror image, zoom, reading tables that move under the camera, foot controls and auto-focus. Because of their diversity, Video Magnifiers are enjoyed by people whose vision loss ranges from the less severe to the severe including many legally blind individuals who can see larger objects.
As with all devices, when choosing, take into account the user and their needs. How will they be using the vision aid? For reading only, some people prefer a vision aid that rests on top of the print. Others prefer a more versatile device that is held off the object being viewed that allows for the easier viewing of objects that may not be flat, performing tasks with their hands as well as reading. If the user will be performing tasks with their hands, they may prefer a device that supports itself so that their hands are free.

Also take into account the user’s ability. Some people, through injury, aging or illness, have lost some, most or all of their mobility. Will they be able to steadily hold the vision aid? Can they slide it across the page following the lines of words? Can they work the controls of an electronic device? Is the device going to be used in one primary location or does it need to be portable for travel, to use for shopping, reading menus etc? Will they need assistance using the device? The answers to these questions can be very important in choosing a vision aid since choosing a device that the user cannot operate or will not meet the user’s daily needs can be very frustrating for all.

What magnification does the user need? At some point, magnifying glasses and similar devices stop being powerful enough for some vision loss sufferers. At this point, a Video Magnifier is usually needed, but even Video Magnifiers have their limitation and some individuals reach a point where they simply cannot be helped. For help with magnification, please read our article on magnification, “What is Magnification” and print our “Sample Font Size” page to help determine what size font is needed.

As you can see, there can be many considerations when choosing a vision aid. For some the choices will be simple and for others, because of individual needs and preferences, the choice may be a little more complicated. For more information, please read our articles “What is Magnification” or feel free to contact Vaughn Engineering with any questions.

Written and published by Tony Vaughn June 17th 2012