Mapping the Gap: Understanding the Need for Occupational Therapy Among Older Adults With Visual Impairment

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Occupational Therapy

Background:

• Visual impairment (VI) significantly impacts daily living for over 9 million Americans aged 65 and older.
• Occupational therapy offers crucial support for functional performance in individuals with VI.
• Limited data exists on the current occupational therapy services available for older adults with VI nationwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of VI by U.S. county.
• To quantify and map the geographic distribution of occupational therapy practitioners certified in vision rehabilitation.

Main Methods:

• Synthetic estimation was employed to calculate county-level VI prevalence in older adults.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping visualized VI prevalence alongside the distribution of vision rehabilitation-certified occupational therapists.

Main Results:

• High concentrations of older adults with VI are found in the central U.S.
• Vision rehabilitation specialists are primarily located on the East Coast, Florida coasts, Texas, California, Pennsylvania, and Alabama.
• A significant geographic disparity exists between the need for and availability of these specialized services.

Conclusions:

• The current distribution of occupational therapy practitioners with vision rehabilitation specialty training does not align with the needs of older adults with VI.
• Findings can guide targeted service provision, outreach to underserved areas, and occupational therapy education.
• This data is vital for resource allocation, workforce development, and improving access to vision rehabilitation nationwide.