The changing face of the visually impaired: the Kooyong low vision clinic's past, present, and future

To demonstrate the changes that have occurred in a developed world low vision population over the past three decades and to examine the present rehabilitation of the visually impaired attending a multi-disciplinary low vision clinic.

A retrospective examination of the 22,860 patients attending the low vision clinic at Kooyong since its inauguration in 1972 to 1996 allowed the extraction of information on their age, gender, living status, and primary condition causing low vision. A prospective unified study of 590 patients attending the clinic over a 6-month period in 1998 examined the demographics of the present low vision population and what rehabilitation they received.

The average age of patients attending the low vision clinic has steadily increased, with 87% over the age of 60 years in the mid-1990s compared to 71% in the mid-1970s. The percentage of female patients attending the clinic has also steadily risen over the past three decades (from 59 to 66%), as has the percentage of patients living alone (from 23 to 41%). The main change in the conditions causing visual impairment in the clinic's low vision population has been the increase in age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The average presenting distance acuity was 6/38, improving to 6/30(-1) with refraction. One-third of the patients could manage N5 print with the aid of +4.00 near addition lenses or less. Over one-half were prescribed magnification aids, with 19% having need for 2 or more to accomplish their desired visual tasks. Two-thirds of the patients made use of staff from multiple disciplines during their visual rehabilitation.

The low vision population has changed over the past three decades. Major changes that have implications on low vision rehabilitation services are the increasing age of the patients and the preponderance of ARMD.