O&M

Background

In North America vision loss (low vision) is strongly associated with aging. Over the age of 80, 1 in 5 have some significant reduction of vision, primarily from age related macular degeneration (AMD).¹ The elderly have a variety of co-morbidities related to the aging process including but not limited to arthritis, or other joint pain, and poor stamina due to heart disease. From the perspective of safety, visually impaired seniors describe a high number of falls^2-4 and a fear of falling.^5-7 Falls amongst the elderly has been identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as a major health issue with a national public relations campaign going on right now to educate Americans about falls, the importance of fall prevention, and methods by which to reduce the risk of falls in homes and elsewhere.⁸