Vision Recap Of Previous Articles of Interest

Besides the comments that we get, one of the best parts of putting together this blog is the wonderful group of guests who share their expertise and personal stories. I want to thank all of the eye care professionals and friends that have contributed to make this blog a success.
Vision Recap
Here is a quick vision recap of some of the articles we had in the past that you may have missed.

Jullia A. Rosdahl, MD, PhD – Coffee and Glaucoma and Taking Control of Glaucoma

David Liao, MD, PhD – What Are A Macular Pucker and Macular Hole?

Kooshay Malek – Being A Blind Artist

Dan Roberts – 15 Things Doctors Might Like Us To Know

Jennifer Villeneuve – Living With KC Isn’t Easy

Daniel D. Esmaili, MD – Posterior Vitreous Detachment

Donna Cole – Living With Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Pouya N. Dayani, MD – Diabetes And The Potential For Diabetic Retinopathy

Robin Heinz Bratslavsky – Adjustments Can Help With Depression

Judith Delgado – Drugs to Treat Dry AMD and Inflammation

Kate Streit – Hadley’s Online Education for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Catherine Warren, RN – Can Keratoconus Progression Be Predicted?

Richard H. Roe, MD, MHS – Uveitis Explained

Sumit (Sam) Garg, MD – Cataract Surgery and Keratoconus

Howard J. Kaplan, MD – Spotlight Text – A New Way to Read

Gerry Trickle – Imagination and KC

In addition to the topics above, here are few more articles that cover a variety of vision issues:

If you have any topics that you would like to read about, please let us know in the comments section below.

6/23/15


Susan DeRemerSusan DeRemer, CFRE
Vice President of Development
Discovery Eye Foundation

Living Well With Low Vision Online Courses

As of May 5th, 10 new audio lessons offering tips and techniques for living well with low vision are now available as part of the newly-launched Low Vision Focus @ Hadley (LVF). These low vision online courses offer practical knowledge to make life easier.
low vision online courses
Low vision is defined by having significant difficulty seeing even after one’s vision is corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses, surgery or medicine. Some typical symptoms of low vision include dimness, haziness, and having difficulty recognizing faces, reading labels and safely moving around. Low vision can make everyday tasks like reading the mail, shopping, cooking and paying the bills difficult. According to 2010 research by the National Eye Institute, the number of Americans with low vision will continue to grow dramatically, from 2.9 million in 2010, to 5 million in 2030, to 8.9 million in 2050, as our population ages. One out of every six older adults will experience age-related vision loss due to conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma or diabetes.

As the largest provider of distance education for people who are blind and visually impaired worldwide, The Hadley School for the Blind (www.hadley.edu) is building on its history and expertise with this new program. The LVF is designed to help those living with low vision maintain their independence by sharing practical ways to address daily living skills made difficult by vision loss. Most low vision assistance focuses on a device that is meant to correct the vision problem. The LVF, however, offers ways for older adults to educate themselves on their condition as well as learn adaptive techniques to continue the tasks of daily living. The LVF is unique in that it offers those living with low vision the opportunity to learn and take advantage of our resources from the comfort of their own homes, at a time that is convenient for them, with the benefit of one-on-one counseling and support, at no cost to them.

A newly-revised series of 10 audio lessons is the core component of the LVF. Each lesson is approximately 30 minutes long and is available on a CD that is mailed to the client. The CDs are free for the client to keep. When a new client comes to the LVF, he or she speaks with an intake coordinator to determine which lesson(s) best meet their needs based on their challenges with low vision. Clients will be limited in their requests to two lessons initially. Additional titles may be requested once the client has had the opportunity to listen to these initial lessons and determine future need. The audio lessons include:

Making the Kitchen User Friendly Getting Around in the House
Basic Tactile Marking Going Out with a Friend
Doing Simple Kitchen Tasks Keeping Prescriptions in Order
Low Vision Cooking Looking Your Best
Going Out for a Meal Simple Home Modifications

While the LVF is geared primarily toward seniors, adult children of seniors living with low vision are encouraged to take advantage of the resources offered by the LVF to aid their parents in the adjustment process. Additionally, while many of the people who are living with low vision are seniors, the program is open to any individual who is experiencing sight loss. Clients and professionals also are encouraged to utilize the programming of the LVF in either the development of new low vision support groups in local communities or to sustain existing support group networks.

In the future, Hadley will provide free, educational videos and webinars as part of the Low Vision Focus and the program will soon reference popular Hadley courses that may be of interest to individuals with low vision.

“We are so excited to offer the Low Vision Focus @ Hadley and enable this growing population to retain their independence and live with confidence,” says the dean of Educational Programs and Instruction and interim Director of the Low Vision Focus @ Hadley Doug Anzlovar.
For more information or to begin taking advantage of the LVF, please visit www.lowvisionfocus.org or call toll-free at 1-855-830-5355.

5/21/15


Kate Streit Hadley School online educationKate Streit
Media and Marketing Specialist
The Hadley School for the Blind

20 Tips For Cooking With Low Vision

10/21/14

People cook for different reasons. Some just so they can eat, others enjoy the creativity and find it relaxing and for some it is a activity they have fun doing with others. But cooking can become difficult and dangerous as you lose your vision. Here are some useful tips to help keep you safe and give you confidence to enjoy cooking with low vision.

Cooking with low vision
1. To avoid burns, place a pot or pan on the burner before turning it on and, turn the burner off before removing the pot or pan.

2. Turn pan handles inward from the stove or counter to avoid spills and burns.

3. Mark common or often used settings on appliances with bright nail polish, bright colored tape, or raised dots.

4. Purchase a microwave with a sensor reheat feature to automatically reheat food to the proper temperature.

5. Use long oven mitts to protect your hands and arms from hot surfaces.

6. Turn on the oven light while using it to remind you the oven is on.

7. Use a double spatula to help avoid spills when turning food.

8. Use a special measuring cup that enhances contrast.

9. Use a knife with an adjustable slicing guide.

10. Have light and dark cutting boards to be able to provide the most contrast depending on what you are slicing or chopping – such as black for slicing onions and white for chopping kale.

11. Use a large print, low-vision kitchen timer.

12. Use an automated coffee maker that makes a single cup of coffee or tea to eliminate the need to pour boiling liquids and risk burns.

13. Attach low-glare fluorescent lighting to the underside of cabinets to make it easier to see.

14. Outline the end of countertops with colored duct tape, or paint in a color that contrasts with the work surface. Also choose kitchenware that contrast with the countertop.

15. Organize shelves in a logical way, possibly alphabetically, with most use items easily accessible. Be sure to return items to where they were originally.

16. Use a color for the interior of cupboards that contrasts with your dishes to make them easier to see. Do not use clear glasses or dishes as they appear invisible.

17. If you have glaucoma and experience tunnel vision, remove cabinet doors or replace with sliding doors.

18. Place rubber bands around the milk carton to distinguish it from the orange juice carton. This also works well with distinguishing a can of chicken noodle soup from tomato, etc.

19. Avoid overflows by hooking a “liquid Level” indicator to your glass or cup that will play a tune when you are ¾” from the top.

20. For cold drinks you can also use your finger by placing the tip of it over the edge of the glass and stop pouring when you feel the liquid.

Once you have prepared your food, eating can also be a challenge, so here are five bonus tips.

1. Use dinner plates with a raised lip to avoid spills or pushing the food off while eating.

2. Avoid patterns on dinnerware.

3. Make sure your dishes contrast with the table or table linens.

4. Have a system for putting food on your plate such as meat at 6:00, vegetables at 3:00 and starches at 9:00.

5. Use a gooseneck lamp directly over you plate.

Susan DeRemerSusan DeRemer, CFRE
Vice President of Development