Take control of your vision rehabilitation!

Taking Control of Your Low Vision Rehabilitation

What should I ask my eye doctor?

• What changes can I expect in my vision?
• Will my vision loss get worse?
• How much of my vision will I lose?
• Will regular eyeglasses improve my vision?
• What medical/surgical treatments are available for my condition?
• What can I do to protect or prolong my vision?
• Will diet, exercise, or other lifestyle changes help?
• If my vision can’t be corrected, can you refer me to a specialist in low vision rehabilitation?
• Where can I get a low vision examination and vision rehabilitation?

What should I ask my eye doctor who specializes in low vision rehabilitation?

• How can I continue my normal, routine activities?
• Are there resources to help me in my job?
• Will any special devices help me with daily activities like reading, sewing, cooking, or fixing things around the house?
• Where can I receive training so that I can use my low vision aids and glasses correctly?
• What services are available to help me live better and more safely despite my visual impairment?
• Where can I find individual or group support to cope with my vision loss?

Talk with your eye care professional

It’s important to talk with your eye care professional about your vision problems. Even though it may be difficult, ask for help. Find out where you can get more information about services and devices that can help you. You must take charge of your health. You must ask about available resources that might help you continue to live independently. Learn more about needed specific visual devices and training on how to use them. Many people require more than one visual device. They may need magnifying lenses for close-up viewing, and telescopic lenses for seeing in the distance. Some people may need to learn how to get around their neighborhoods. If your eye care professional says, “Nothing more can be done for your vision,” ask about vision rehabilitation. These programs offer a wide range of services, such as low vision evaluations and special training to use visual and adaptive devices. They also offer guidance for modifying your home as well as group support from others with low vision.

Investigate and learn

Be persistent. Remember that you are your best health advocate. Investigate and learn as much as you can, especially if you have been told that you may lose more vision. It is important that you ask questions about vision rehabilitation and get answers. Many resources are available to help you. Write down questions to ask your doctor, or take a tape recorder with you. Rehabilitation programs, devices, and technology can help you adapt to vision loss. They may help you keep doing many of the things you did before. Take a family member or a friend into your evaluation as the amount of information presented may be to much for one person to absorb.