Table 4 Impact of visual impairment on older people with dementia and their carers (Qualitative studies)
Study and Year | Age (years) | Sex | N with dementia | Type of impact | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Impact on older people with dementia and VI | |||||
Bowen, 2016 [17] | 60–89 | Male 50%; Female 50% | 36 | Negative emotions | ➢ Feel awful ➢ Feel anxious |
Loss of hobbies | ➢ Lose hobbies, cannot read books ➢ Cannot do word puzzles anymore | ||||
Lawrence, 2009 [9] | 65–99 | Male 36.8% Female 63.2% | 19 | Decreased independence | ➢ Unable to locate themselves using visual cues ➢ Lose the ability to manage independently ➢ Reduced ability of older adults to perform certain activities safely ➢ Impaired ability to assess risks accurately ➢ Unable to navigate their surroundings as they can’t observe or recall the layout |
Negative emotions | ➢ Feel distress ➢ Profound disorientation and distress can manifest as disruptive, agitated or aggressive behavior ➢ Older adults likely to adopt self-protective strategies, such as denial ➢ Experience loneliness and isolation. | ||||
Decreased social engagement | ➢ Restricted interests and hobbies and require other’s stimulation ➢ Difficult to participate in groups and often need one-to-one interaction ➢ Concerns about safety prompted family members to limit their relatives’ activities ➢ Difficult to identify when conversation was directed at them. Easier to interact on a one-to-one basis | ||||
Nyman, 2017 [37] | Mean: 82.1; Range: 58–96 | Male 34.6% Female 65.4% | 26 | Decreased independence | ➢ Presence of dementia and VI exacerbates existing difficulties leading to greater dependence ➢ Ability to use vision deteriorating and has to rely more and more on memory for independence. ➢ Some memory aids no longer usable because of VI as rely on vision to serve as reminder ➢ Some visual aids not usable as rely on short-term memory |
Negative emotions | ➢ Boredom and lack of daily stimulation | ||||
Loss of hobbies | ➢ Can’t participate in scrabble ➢ Previously held hobbies abandoned | ||||
Impact on carers | |||||
Lawrence, 2009 [9] | 65–99 | Male 37.8% Female 63.2% | 19 | Conflict | ➢ Concerns about safety by carers lead to limitations on valued activities and roles. This creates conflict when the older person does not wish to give up these activities or roles. |
Exhaustion | ➢ Caregivers physically exhausted - found it difficult to leave the older person for even brief periods of time. ➢ Increased emotional dependency of person with dementia as they are more socially isolated | ||||