By
Kristine Dwyer, LSW, Staff Writer
Martha
and Ken were married for more than 45 years when
Ken began showing signs of multiple sclerosis.
As the disease progressed and his caregiving
needs increased, Martha found her own health
status changing. She was having more difficulty
breathing and she began to notice a decrease in
her vision. Over the next two years, Ken became
confined to a wheelchair and Martha was
diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease) and put on daily oxygen. Her
eyesight continued to deteriorate to the point
of near blindness. She was no longer able to
drive, read the mail, see recipes or the print
on prescription bottles. Photos were blurry,
bills were late and Martha was unable to manage
her correspondence or even read her Bible. Her
world had sharply narrowed and depression
quickly set in. How was she going to safely care
for Ken without her sight? There was
turmoil in their lives and they were at risk of
losing their independence!
A social worker was referred to Martha and Ken
to make a visit and assess their current needs.
The social worker then set up a home visit with
a low vision specialist to meet with Martha. He
was able to offer her support, education and an
opportunity to try some video magnifying
equipment to enhance her remaining vision.
The results were astonishing! A month later,
Martha revealed, with tears in her eyes, that
she had been given her life back. The desktop
video magnifier she purchased had allowed her to
once again read the newspaper, see her mail,
write out checks for their bills, understand the
words on medication bottles, work puzzles,
string beads for her jewelry hobby and even
clearly see the photograph of her new great
grandchild. She boasted how she was now able to
read three hours a day and had gained a new
lease on life. The positive impact on her
ability to care for Ken was becoming obvious as
she set up his pillbox, reviewed his medical
insurance forms and then prepared his favorite
dessert recipe.
Low vision can vary with each individual and may
be a result of a birth defect, eye injuries, the
aging process or diseases such as macular
degeneration or diabetes. Age-related macular
degeneration, for example, is the leading cause
of central vision loss in people over age 55 and
accounts for more than 45 percent of all low
vision cases.
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