FACING CHANGE

Vision loss is one of the many physiological changes people face as they age. When combined with other disabilities, they can threaten a person's self-confidence.

As a caregiver, your role involves empowering and encouraging the person under your care to take charge of his/her own rehabilitation process — to start working toward that first success that will mean so much.

Please also go to the section Adjusting to Vision Loss on this website. There you will find advice on lifestyle changes that will help maintain the person's daily living activities. Imagine the sense of accomplishment and pride that a grandmother with AMD will feel once she bakes a batch of cookies for her grandson - thanks to the new adaptive lighting recently installed in her kitchen.

Peer support groups are invaluable. They offer the opportunity to learn how others are coping with their vision loss and how they've learned to do old things in new ways. Vision rehabilitation workers and eye-care professionals can also provide creative solutions to the challenges of living with various eye conditions. Support systems vary considerably from country to country. Please go to the Region by Region section of this site to find contact details for our members or contact a reputable visual impairment organization in your country for advice on the help available in your country.