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Low Vision

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1 in 4 adults will develop some difficulty with their vision after the age of 65 years old.  Low vision is characterized as visual acuity less than 20/70 in either eye or a diminished visual field.  Low vision is caused by Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, and Diabetic Retinopathy.

Individuals with low vision demonstrate difficulty with:

  • Reading printed material
  • Reading labels, prices, and mail
  • Difficulty performing household tasks
  • Difficulty performing cooking
  • Difficulty identifying uneven surfaces, traffic lights, signs, faces, and navigating when outdoors
  • Difficulty performing simple community tasks

A low vision evaluation performed by Occupational Therapy includes an assessment of your usable vision, a detailed functional history, a home assessment for lighting and safety, and a mobility evaluation.  The therapist will utilize specific devices including magnifiers, glasses, techniques of utilizing peripheral vision, lighting, and positioning of materials to enhance your usable vision.  Techniques will be evaluated both in the office, community, as well as your home to ensure proper generalization of principles and devices.

Therapy generally involves 3-6 sessions and is covered by most insurance.  Our goal is to increase your safety, independence level, and quality of life while decreasing burden of care.