Visually Impaired Clients

1512 Words7 Pages
Caring for visually impaired clients in the hospital The eye is a very significant part of our body that allows us to see and perform our activities of daily living independently. It is a “sensitive, highly specialized sense organ subject to various disorders, many of which lead to impaired vision”. (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010, p.1757) Visual impairment is defined as “a functional limitation of the eye(s) or visual system and can manifest as reduced visual acuity or contrast sensitivity, visual field loss, photophobia, diplopia, visual distortion, visual perceptual difficulties, or any combination of the above. These functional limitations can result from congenital (e.g., prenatal or postnatal trauma, genetic or developmental abnormalities), hereditary (e.g., retinitis pigmentosa or Stargardt's macular degeneration), or acquired conditions (e.g., ocular infection or disease, trauma, age-related changes, or systemic disease). A visual impairment can cause disability(ies) by significantly interfering with one's ability to function independently, to perform activities of daily living, and/or to travel safely through the environment”.(American Optometric Association, 2010) This research essay focuses on the health promotion, patient assessment, and patient teaching with visually impaired patients in the hospital. Health promotion “not only embraces actions directed at strengthening the skills and capabilities of individuals, but also action directed towards changing social, environmental and economic conditions so as to alleviate their impact on public and individual health.” (Ross-Kerr & Woods, 2010, p. 10) Due to the underlying conditions of the visually impaired clients, they have limited physical activities, participation restrictions, and environmental barriers such as communication services, transportation services and also job opportunities.
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