A Crossroads for Vision: Ensuring Services for Seniors with Vision Loss

Within 15 years there will be over a half million people aged 60 and up living in Sacramento County. That’s nearly three times the number in 2000. Visual impairments and vision loss are directly correlated to aging. The three leading causes of low vision and blindness are age-related: Glaucoma, Cataracts and Age-related Macular Degeneration.

At Society for the Blind, we are planning now for this spike in older adults living with vision loss. We are already seeing the number of seniors seeking our services growing, with over 540 new clients in 2024. Many older adults coming to Society are still working or need to work. They also want to remain active and continue living in their own homes and neighborhoods. Nearly half have other medical conditions requiring daily monitoring.

Addressing the growing population of seniors with vision loss is at the heart of our Vision Forward Initiative. We intend to repurpose a portion of our second floor to provide more teaching space and small group learning areas. We also are planning to enhance our instructional capacity so new clients don’t have extended wait time to receive help.

Vision loss contributes to other potential medical issues. The risk of Alzheimer’s is 9.5% higher, the risk of falls is 2.4% greater, and the experience of isolation and depression is 200% higher for people with poor eye health.

Vision loss impacts more than health, it affects the individual’s social and emotional well-being, and it impacts the entire family. That is why Society provides support groups as a wraparound service to our instruction. Support groups offer clients, their family members and caregivers a place to come together to share their experience and hope with one another.

We are at a crossroads, and we are confident that we can meet this challenge and ensure seniors with vision loss have access to the instruction, tools and resources they need. We are committed to providing training that keeps them safe in their homes, enables them to go to work, and stay in touch with family and friends.

This summer, you can support our senior programs by making a donation to help us meet the needs of this growing population: www.SocietyfortheBlind.org/Donate.

Together, we can build our capacity at Society for the Blind, ensuring that older adults experiencing vision loss can access our services and continue to engage in their community and thrive in their golden years.