OT for Blindness...What can I expect?

[Dejibo]

My last flare really popped me for a loop including Optic neuritis, and it has damaged my optic nerves. it was a horrible show that left me hospitalized for more than a week.

PT is coming to the house as I am not yet stable enough to travel, which is helpful, but also this week I am expecting OT which is coming to "teach me about blindness" well...hmm...what can they "teach me" about being blind?

Has anyone else ever gone thru this? My vision remains at 20/400 so, I am literally blind from this and quite upset about it too. I am just wondering whats the point if they cant fix my vision, what will they do for me?

[SusanD]

Occupational therapists are specially trained in visual deficits, to maximize existing skills and offer alternative ways to do things to increase safety and promote independence.
Once the OT does an assessment of needs and personal goals, several areas will be addressed including:
Activities of daily living- eating, grooming, dressing, bathroom mobility, shaving, applying make-up and managing medication;
Responsibilities around the home - meals/ cooking, laundry, cleaning, child care to name a few;
Adjustment in the community - shopping, banking etc
Communication skills – telephone use, computer skills, reading and writing,
And so much more!

There are numerous assistive devices and adaptive techniques the OT will work with you and your family/caregiver.

You will need a prescription from your physician for OT.

[jojo18]

my grandpa has macular degeneration,and 20/400 vision, and up until he fell last year hurting his leg (he is ok) he was still waking up at 4am to milk the cows. (no joke). he just cant drive and needs a magnifier to read

so you can still do alot with this vision.

[Redwings]

Hi Dejibo:
In addition to the adaptive techniques and devices the OT can help you with, there are optical devices that can help you with specific visual tasks. Electronic devices have revolutionized the field of low vision rehabilitation, but there are still some tasks that are better and more economically served with optical devices, and some of them must be prescribed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist (although I can tell you from having worked for several years in the field of vision rehabilitation, most ophthalmologists don't want anything to do with low vision patients, to the point that they won't even refer them for OT or low vision rehab). There are optical devices available beyond what an OT can provide, so if there are some visual needs or desires you still have after OT, consider being evaluated by a low vision specialist.

If your local optometrist doesn't know of a doctor in your area who does low vision, most larger eye clinics offer low vision services, colleges of optometry always have low vision clinics, and there are some very good standalone low vision centers as well. For example, in the Los Angeles area, two of the large ophthalmology centers that have low vision services available are the Jules Stein Eye Institute (associated with UCLA) and the Doheny Eye Institute (associated with USC). There are two optometry colleges that have low vision departments, and also a private low vision center, the Center for the Partially Sighted. Other large cities have similar arrangements. You can check with the ophthalmology department at your nearest university medical center to see if they have low vision services available.

Susan summed it up very nicely. OT and low vision rehab can't fix your vision, but will help you maximize your existing vision and skills, and offer alternative ways to do things to increase safety and promote independence.

[Cat Mom]

I was literally blown away by what's out there for blindness and low vision. My first OT hooked me up with the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind), there should be an equivalent in the US. It has an e-store loaded with things that make everyday life so much easier.

At first I was too overwhelmed to take in all the info my OT passed on to me so it would be helpful to have someone you trust with you to help absorb it all.

[SusanD]

Thank you for sharing that additional information Redwings

[Redwings]

You're welcome, Susan1 I'm happy to talk about anything that might help someone with a visual impairment.

[Dejibo]

TY so much for all of the public and private displays of support. The assc for the blind is amazing! They have tools from high contrast measuring cups, to canes, dogs, talking caller IDs, push button talk to me alarms, and so forth. I am quite frankly amazed at how much they came armed with.

We are just waiting for the final stages of my paperwork to be done with them by my MD and then they are going to unleash all sorts of computer programing, kitchen help, and send me to camp to get a free doggie that will lead me around in public so I dont have to stay home bound.

I have the Iphone 4s already, so I am quite spoiled by Siri who will call whomever I ask her to call, or tell me the time, or ring reminders for meds, even let me talk to her from my iphone and she writes things into the message boards for me. So, while I am still so new at this, and have no idea what I dont know, I feel quite supported.

sent from my Iphone 4s.