Welcome Homes Residential Services

Is a membership program for residential living centers wishing to provide specialized care for individuals dealing with varying stages of vision loss.

Welcome Homes services are designed to promote independence, build confidence, and encourage visually impaired residents to remain active.

Our program provides assessment, training, and support to residents, families and staff.

Helping the blind and visually impaired remain independent and active

Macular Degeneration

There are many changes in vision experienced by our senior population, but the most common are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Cataract surgery (removal of the natural lens and replacement with an implant) usually takes care of this particular problem so this leaves age-related macular degeneration to discuss. There are many types of age-related macular degeneration and each will give different symptoms. The two basic categories of the degenerative process are commonly known as dry or wet macular degeneration. The dry type is the most common and is usually associated with the aging process. This usually starts out as a small blur when reading or watching TV and will progress in a slow fashion, or with a noticeable spot in your visual field which is not corrected by a change in your glasses.

To manage this dry type, you can take anti-oxidant multivitamins to maintain or slow the progression and using magnification visual aids to make the printed material larger than the small spot in your vision. Wet macular degeneration is much less common than the dry type, but usually creates the most visual loss or distortion of vision. It is not totally dependant on the aging process, as its main cause is a blood vessel leakage or other fluid leakage in the back of the eye between the retinal layers. This leakage pulls the visual fibers apart creating a blind spot. This type of macular problem is serious and must be seen by a retinal specialist as soon as possible to minimize the extent of visual loss. They will determine what kind of leakage is present, and might use retinal injections or laser treatments to stop the leakage. Once the situation is stabilized, then the low vision specialist can again use magnification aids to help with the every day vision needs. This wet variety typically takes much more magnification, as the vision is usually compromised to a greater extent.

If you have had problems with macular degeneration, regular glasses may no longer be the answer to your visual needs anymore, but that doesn’t mean that you will not be able to do the things you did in the past. Low vision specialists can help. Any time you have to use special visual aids it may not be the way it used to be, nor the way you would like it to be, but you will be able to see. Low vision aids and the training that goes with it is available, ask your retinal specialist or your regular doctor for a low vision evaluation and they can refer you.

This has been a rather simplified text of a very common problem with macular degeneration and is just a brief description of both the disorder as well as a plan for management of the situation. As with any visual concern please contact your eye care professional.