How do older people with sight loss manage their general health? A qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose: Older people with sight loss experience a number of barriers to managing their health. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how older people with sight loss manage their general health and explore the techniques used and strategies employed for health management.

Methods: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with 30 participants. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: Health management challenges experienced included: managing multiple health conditions; accessing information; engaging in health behaviours and maintaining wellbeing. Positive strategies included: joining support groups, clubs and societies; using low vision aids; seeking support from family and friends and accessing support through health and social care services.

Conclusion: Healthcare professionals need to be more aware of the challenges faced by older people with sight loss. Improved promotion of group support and charity services which are best placed to share information, provide fora to learn about coping techniques and strategies, and give older people social support to prevent isolation is needed. Rehabilitation and support services and equipment can only be beneficial if patients know what is available and how to access them. Over-reliance on self-advocacy in current healthcare systems is not conducive to patient-centred care.

Implications for Rehabilitation

• Sight loss in older people can impact on many factors including health management. This study identifies challenges to health management and highlights strategies used by older people with sight loss to manage their health.

• Access to support often relies on patients seeking information for themselves. However, self-advocacy is challenging due to information accessibility barriers.

• Informal groups and charities play an important role in educating patients about their condition and advising on available support to facilitate health management.

Keywords:

• Healthcare
• health management
• older people
• vision impairment

Acknowledgements

First, we would like to thank the participants for giving up their time to this study. Thanks to Mary Dahdah who contributed to data collection and analysis. We thank Rebecca Marsden for her clinical expertise as an Eye Clinic and Liaison Office and help with accessing patients and Anne Hawkins for her invaluable contributions as a patient. Thanks also to Danny Gleeson and Amanda Reeve, representatives from the Macular Society, and Mary Bairstow, from RNIB and the Vision 2020 UK Ltd., for their expertise and support throughout the project. Finally, thanks to Thomas Pocklington Trust, especially Catherine Dennison, for recognising this important issue and for their financial support, to West Birmingham and Sandwell NHS Trust for their financial contribution and help with recruiting patients, and to Birmingham Focus for their help with accessing participants.

Declaration of interest

This work was funded by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and West Birmingham and Sandwell NHS Trust. The authors report no declarations of interest.