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The experiences of hospital care for older people with vision impairment

A blurred view of a hospital room, simulating the experience of living with glaucoma

On

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Data from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) shows that one in five people will live with sight loss in their lifetime, particularly as they age. Almost two-thirds of hospital admissions are of people over 65 years old and they likely have some form of vision impairment.

We held co-productive workshops at the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) with seven older adults with vision impairment to learn about their hospital experiences.

Our findings were that the needs of older people with vision impairment are often not considered in the acute hospital setting. Participants spoke about their experiences, which included:

Trauma and loss, as many developed vision problems or had a worsening of their vision whilst in hospital.
Feeling vulnerable and invisible, as they were in an unfamiliar environment with little communication with staff or patients, often made worse by being behind a hospital curtain and feeling abandoned.
Being disabled, due to the environment and care practices, and for many their usual coping mechanisms were disrupted while in hospital.
Feeling safe, as there were examples of good care and positive experiences which helped participants during their time in hospital.

Our study highlights the importance of ‘vision aware care’ for older adults in hospitals, as many will have vision impairment.

Communication between healthcare professionals and patients is vital to ensure hospital staff are aware of a patient's vision impairment and what they need to support them through their diagnosis and care. Patients should feel enabled and not disabled for person-centred care when in hospital.

Work is ongoing to develop learning resources for healthcare students. We are committed to raising awareness of vision impairment and hospital care and are undertaking further research in this area.

Resources

Several resources have been developed as part of this research.

People

This is a collaborative study between the School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery at the ��TV and the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB).

We are working with , who is bringing this study to life through her artwork at the .