Vision Loss Rates to Double by 2030
Today, more than 6.5 million Americans over age 65 have a severe visual impairment, often as the result of diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. By 2030, medical experts and health officials predict that rates of vision loss and severe visual impairment in the United States will double as America’s 78 million aging baby boomers reach retirement age and beyond.
The oldest members of the baby boom generation will turn 65 in 2011, signaling the start of a two-decade growth period for people who are 65 and older and a senior population boom. By 2030, the number of Americans over 65 will double to 71.5 million, roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Administration on Aging.
Vision Loss and Aging
The risk of low vision and blindness increases significantly with age, particularly in those over age 65, according to the National Eye Institute.
Vision Loss, Health and Quality of Life
For many people, visual impairment can contribute to physical or mental health problems—ranging from falling injuries to depression—and may seriously affect their quality of life.
In AFB’s survey of 1,000 adults, 75% said loss of independence would be their top concern if they ever lost their eyesight, followed by the inability to read, identify medications and drive.
Results of the AFB survey include:
- At the top the list of public health fears for Americans are vision loss (21%) and paralysis (21%), followed by HIV/AIDS (16%), cancer (14%), stroke (11%), heart attacks/heart disease (6%), diabetes (4%) and deafness (3%). The other 4% of American surveyed answered “don’t know.”
- Americans say their biggest concerns about low vision are losing their ability to live independently (75%), read (68%), identify medications (65%) and drive (64%).
- Fewer than half of Americans (36%) listed not being able to watch television or go to the movies as a concern related to vision loss.
- After physicians (56%), Americans would turn to web sites (29%) and organizations for the blind (20%) for information on blindness and severe vision loss.
To help families, caregivers, and people directly affected by vision loss, the American Foundation for the Blind has created the AFB Senior Site, an accessible, multimedia Web site that offers instructional videos, easy to implement tips, and testimonials to help the growing number of blind and low-vision Americans maintain their independence.
“Over the next few decades, rates of age-related vision loss in this country are expected to double as our country’s population ages. Given how much fear people have concerning the impact of vision loss, AFB hopes our new Web site will enlighten Americans about ways they or a loved one can adapt successfully to low vision or vision loss and maintain a full, rewarding and independent life,” said AFB President and CEO Carl R. Augusto in a press release announcing the AFB Senior Site.
Practical Solutions for Living with Vision Loss and Low Vision
Based on some of the testimonials from seniors who have been helped by the American Foundation for the Blind and the AFB Senior Site, the strategy seems to be working.
“Adjusting to vision loss can be a daunting process for individuals and their families. AFB Senior Site features practical solutions that can make an immediate improvement in the life of someone with vision loss,” said Bonnie Truax, age 81, of San Antonio, Texas, who has lost most of her vision to macular degeneration but continues to live in her home with her husband. “I’m able to remain independent because we’ve implemented many of the tips we’ve learned from AFB.”
