Hope & Understanding for Patients With Vision Loss
Individuals with vision loss can lead full, productive lives.
However, when first faced with the reality of vision loss, life can seem overwhelming. Patients may often react with denial, anger, fear, grief, hurt, rejection, abandonment, and/or the fear of these things.
Without guidance, in many cases there is a great potential for isolation, depression, and dependence. This can be a trying time for the family as well as the patient, so early interventions can make a critical difference.
In an effort to support patients and their families through this process, the Moran Eye Center provides comprehensive integrated services to patients with vision loss called the Patient Support Program-unique in this region and now modeled worldwide.
Services
- Orientation to Vision Loss Seminar (at no cost) - We host a monthly, two-hour seminar for visually impaired individuals and their families. Topics include hints and tips to work with your condition and resources that can help you.
- Vision Rehabilitation - Dr. Robert Christiansen offers vision rehabilitation to improve functional ability through the evaluation of decreased vision or visual field, contrast sensitivity, lighting needs, and glare or photophobia. By appointment.
- Counseling (Individual & Family) - Our experienced professionals provide individual or family counseling by appointment. Counseling gives our patients with new or ongoing vision loss an opportunity to better understand and deal with the emotional response to vision loss, to address psychological issues, and to be encouraged and supported through the adjustment process.
- Health & Behavior Assessment & Intervention - Through a health-focused clinical assessment, we evaluate health, behavioral, and social factors affecting patients' well-being. We then develop a treatment plan based on intervention strategies designed to help patients towards better understanding and managing the disease processes.
- Support & Education Groups - These groups give our patients opportunities to share experiences with others in the same situation and to receive information and encouragement. They can also provide hands-on training for living with vision loss.
- Referrals - We provide patients with referrals to the excellent services offered by many local agencies that assist the blind.
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Occupational Therapy - Janice Moushegian, MS, OTR/L, CLVT, provides in-home assessments and helps patients function safely and independently in their own homes. By appointment.
“The human being is born with an incurable capacity for making the best of things.”
- Helen Keller
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my vision loss qualify me for Social Security Disability?
You can get disability benefits if you are legally blind or if your vision problems prevent you from working. Legal blindness is when your vision cannot be corrected better than 20/200 or if your visual field is 20 degrees or less in your better eye.
Can I still drive?
Each state has its own rules on driving. In Utah, you must have visual acuity of 20/40 for an unrestricted driver’s license; a restricted driver’s license can be obtained if you have visual acuity of 20/100 and if you have a vision statement form signed by your ophthalmologist or optometrist.
What resources are available to help me to see better?
There are many assistive devices available. Which device is helpful really depends on the cause of your visual impairment. Assistive devices include the following:
- Magnifiers of varying strength and type
- Lights
- CCTVs (closed circuit television—electronic desktop magnifiers)
- Prismatic Glasses—magnifying reading
- Bioptic telescope
There are also simple changes you can make around your home to improve contrast.
How do I get a guide dog?
There are several guide-dog training schools in the United States; however, there are none in Utah. The first step is to be certified in cane travel. Virtually all guide-dog schools require this as a prerequisite. Schools require that the blind person must travel to the school where they will be matched with a dog and trained to handle their dog.
Please contact us at 801-585-2213 for more information.
Resources
Hear From Our Specialists
Helping Patients with Low Vision Get Back to Doing What They Love
The Patient Support Program offers professionally moderated support groups and vision rehabilitation services to help patients, families, and caregivers find ways to understand, accept, and move past the limitations of vision loss.
Experts Share Top Tips to Make Living with Low Vision Easier and Safer
Experts at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah offer tips on everyday living with low vision, from simple tactile stickers to high-tech apps.
What is Low Vision and How Can you Make the Best of It?
Whether you have been diagnosed with “low vision” or know someone who has, Lisa Ord, PhD, LCSW, director of the John A. Moran Eye Center’s Patient Support Program, wants you to know the facts about this often-misunderstood condition.
From Daisy to Mina—New Book Helps Families Dealing with Retinoblastoma
Daisy Callister's experience with retinoblastoma inspired “Mina and Her New Eye,” a new children's book created by the Patient Support Program at the Moran Eye Center.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Review and What's New
Moran's Kathleen B. Digre, MD, reviews the symptoms and causes of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), and the latest options to treat headache and prevent visual loss.