One Canadian every 10 minutes is diagnosed with vision loss – but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to lose independence. Living safely and independently with vision loss was the subject of a talk by Evaleen Baker at the Nanaimo Seniors Services Network’s Seniors Health Fair last month. “It’s not a death sentence to get diagnosed with an eye condition. I know we put a lot of emphasis on our eyesight, but we’re here to support that independence,” Baker said. “I don’t want to see people missing out on any activities because of vision, the only thing I can’t do is restore one’s driver’s licence.” Baker is a certified low vision specialist with Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, a not-for-profit that helps Canadians with vision loss live safely and independently at no cost to the person. For Baker, that means being a part of equipping more than 6,000 people on Vancouver Island with the skills they need to move about independently, a career she started after seeing how the health system in Ontario treated blind patients. “We truly didn’t understand vision loss. I would get doctor’s orders – go in, feed, dress, medicate, look after these people – and the only thing wrong with them is they didn’t see. I was like, ‘this is awful, why are we doing this to you? Why don’t you get up and we’ll do it together?’” After going back to school to focus on supporting patients with vision loss and being hired on with Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, a large part of Baker’s job now is introducing aids to patients, whether that’s using different smart device apps, helping them learn to cook again or figuring out grooming routines. “People don’t tend to go blind the way we misunderstand. It’s 10 per cent of our clientele that go totally blind. Ninety-per cent of our clients always have some degree of functional eyesight to work with and that is the misconception in the general public,” Baker said. “They see it as a black-and-white issue. It’s definitely not.” She said most vision loss is gradual, presenting the opportunity to learn to adapt along the way. Macular degeneration remains the most common form of vision loss, especially prevalent in those over 50. The macula is the part of the eye focusing on fine detail at the front of the eye, but macular degeneration worsens that field of vision without impacting peripheral vision. This means that while the person may not be able to make out the details, they can walk into a room knowing if there are people or objects. For those experiencing vision loss who still have partial sight, one of the first things Baker recommends is task lights. “The more light we can position on top of a task, often it is quite enhancing and more contrasting and much easier to access. By age of 50 and getting older, most people want more lighting. They start turning on more lights and I always talk about that light: get that light into a goose-neck or a flexible arm, get that light positioned on top of the task and away from the face, and that can really make a significant difference.” Contrast in colour can also be useful. Black coffee in a black coffee mug or white plates on a white tablecloth might be difficult to distinguish, for example. “I always tell people, watch where you lay objects, watch for where your surfaces are, look f0r different types of contrast,” Baker said. “There are ways of enhancing contrast, people will do it on the phone.” Sunglasses are another tool, both for reducing eye damage to begin with, as well as for assisting those who require added contrast. The key is finding the right tint for the environment. For those who don’t yet have vision damage, Baker said not wearing sunglasses in sunlight is “the fastest, easiest way to lose eyesight.” All sunglasses sold in Canada are required to provide UV protection, regardless of price, but if the product is bought from outside of Canada, it might not have the same protection. Seeing an optometrist for an eye exam every two years is also recommended. Baker said Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada prefers to work with the clients as soon as a diagnosis is received, whether by self-referral or medical recommendation. “The doctors get pretty fixated on how they’re going to fix this or what they are going to do for it, but they don’t really think about how this person is managing once they leave the doctor’s office,” she said. “Once that diagnosis comes in, it doesn’t matter one’s visual acuity, I’ll meet people who are driving at 20/20 but they have been diagnosed and they need that support.” For more information, visit http://visionlossrehab.ca. [https://visionlossrehab.ca]
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