Family Support

For Seniors with Vision Loss

Adult vision loss affects the whole family. Recognizing signs of visual impairment in a relative, coping with the diagnosis, and providing helpful support are all part of the adjustment process. This section offers a range of information: advice and support for family members, practical tips for daily caregiving, and suggestions for emotional adjustment.

Below is a list of topics you'll find in this section. Click on a title to jump to a specific topic.

• Advice for Family Members
• Family Members as Caregivers: Practical Strategies
• Family Support for Seniors with Vision Loss
• Research: Family Support for Seniors with Vision Loss

Advice for Family Members

Failing Sight and the Family Plight, California Council of the Blind
Advice for families of visually impaired seniors on handling some common challenges together.

Family Members' Reactions to an Older Relative's Vision Loss, American Foundation for the Blind
Advice for family members adjusting to the vision loss of an older relative; includes a list of common problems and solutions; available in Spanish.

Family's and Friends' Reactions to Vision Impairment, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
Advice for caregivers challenged by the vision loss of a parent or companion.

Helping a Loved One, National Eye Institute
This page is aimed at caregivers who are having difficulty expressing their feelings about the impact of a loved one’s vision loss.

Parenting or Grandparenting with Vision Loss, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
Suggestions for older adults whose children and grandchildren need help adjusting to their relative’s visual impairment.

Taking Care of Yourself, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
Self-care suggestions for friends and family members who are dealing with the responsibilities of caring for someone with a vision loss.

When Your Partner Becomes Visually Impaired: Helpful Insights and Tips for Coping, Lighthouse International
Addresses one’s feelings and emotions when a spouse or partner is losing vision; tips for enhancing communication.

Family Members as Caregivers: Practical Strategies

Adjusting to Vision Loss: Information for Families, Iowa Department for the Blind
Basic information to dispel common misconceptions about blindness; what family members can do to help.

Caring for Seniors with Vision Loss: Advice for Families and Caregivers, Care.com
Caregivers’ frequently asked questions when dealing with seniors’ sadness; suggestions for encouraging maximum independence.

Family and Friends Can Make a Difference! How to Help When Someone Close to You is Visually Impaired, Lighthouse International
An explanation of normal vision changes in the aging process; helping a loved one cope; the benefits of vision rehabilitation.

Family, Friend & Carer: A Guide, Macular Degeneration Foundation (Australia)
This 36-page booklet offers strategies for independent living, maintaining mobility, preventing falls, leisure activities, and using daily living aids, low vision aids, and adaptive technology.

Families, Friends and Caregivers, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
Advice for those who provide support to an older adult with vision loss.

Family Involvement, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
Advice on providing emotional and practical support, and encouraging a family member to resume the activities of daily life.

Helping Your Parent Make the Most of an Eye Appointment, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
This article helps family members and older adults prepare for eye tests and appointments, and make better use of time with the doctor.

Sensory Loss in Older Adults - Vision - Behavioral Approaches For Caregivers, Ezine Articles
A discussion of the sensory changes that accompany aging, and the appropriate accommodations for professional, paraprofessional, and family caregivers.

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Family Support for Seniors with Vision Loss

A Guide to Vision Loss for Friends and Family, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
This section of the AFB Senior Site focuses on the needs and questions of family and friends; includes a number of articles, and an online video of a husband and wife discussing how they have adapted together.

Help Your Family and Friends Adjust to Your Vision Loss, VisionAWARE
How adults with vision loss can help their family and friends adjust.

How to Spot Signs of Vision Loss in Your Aging Parents, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB)
A list of changes that may indicate vision loss in older relatives.

Observable Signs of Vision Problems, American Foundation for the Blind—Senior Site
Signs that a loved one may be experiencing vision loss.

Questions Children Ask About Blindness and Vision Loss, VisionAWARE
Answers to children’s questions about vision loss; includes basic vision information and the effects of visual impairment.

Vision Loss, Family Caregiver Alliance
This article covers a wide range of information, including causes, vision rehabilitation, adaptations and assistive devices, orientation and mobility, and the emotional effects of vision loss.

Research: Family Support for Seniors with Vision Loss

Primary Support Persons for Individuals Who Are Visually Impaired: Who They Are and the Support They Provide, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness
This study provides some preliminary data on the experiences of primary support persons of people who are visually impaired.

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