Archive for April, 2015

Low Vision and the Hispanic Community

Posted on: April 23rd, 2015 by lowvision

Aging increases risk of developing low vision disorders. However, other factors like ethnicity can also impact potential of certain eye diseases.

A recent poll by Research!America found that more than a third of Hispanic American respondents, 38 percent, feared vision loss and said it would have the greatest impact on their life. The poll also found that six in 10 Hispanic respondents (63 percent) were concerned that loss of vision would impact their independence, and 60 percent were concerned about the impact it would have on their quality of life.

We have created a printable document with more information about low vision in the Hispanic community. You can access the document here: Low Vision in the Hispanic Community

Low Vision and African Americans

Posted on: April 23rd, 2015 by lowvision

Aging increases risk of developing low vision disorders. However, other factors like ethnicity can also impact potential of certain eye diseases.

A recent poll by Research!America found that a majority of African American respondents, 57 percent, feared vision loss and said it would have a great impact on their lives – more so than fears of losing speech, memory, and hearing. Additionally, 66 percent of African Americans feared that loss of vision would impact their independence, while 59 percent feared it would have on their quality of life.

While vision loss and low vision disorders affect all Americans, African Americans are disproportionately affected. According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 200,000 African Americans suffer with low vision, and that number is expected to increase to 366,000 by 2030.

We have created a printable document with more information about the prevalence of low vision and aging eye disease in the African American community. You can access it here:  Low Vision in the African American Community

What is the White House Conference on Aging?

Posted on: April 21st, 2015 by lowvision

The White House has held a Conference on Aging each decade since the 1960s to identify and advance actions to improve the quality of life of older Americans. The 2015 White House Conference on Aging is an opportunity to look ahead to the issues that will help shape the landscape for older Americans for the next decade.

Many organizations are working hard to have low vision and aging eye disease on the agenda at the Conference. You can learn more about the White House Conference on Aging and sign up for email alerts here: http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov

Some of the common issues that are expected to be discussed include:

  • Retirement security is a vitally important issue. Financial security in retirement provides essential peace of mind for older Americans, but requires attention during our working lives to ensure that we are well prepared for retirement.
  • Healthy aging will be all the more important as baby boomers age. As medical advances progress, the opportunities for older Americans to maintain their health and vitality should progress as well and community supports, including housing, are important tools to promote this vitality.
  • Long-term services and supports remain a priority. Older Americans overwhelmingly prefer to remain independent in the community as they age. They need supports to do so, including a caregiving network and well-supported workforce.
  • Elder justice is important given that seniors, particularly the oldest older Americans, can be vulnerable to financial exploitation, abuse, and neglect. The Elder Justice Act was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act, and we need to realize its vision of protecting seniors from scam artists and others seeking to take advantage of them.