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ERIC Number: EJ1187947
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0145-482X
EISSN: N/A
Visual Impairment and Falls: Outcomes of Two Fall Risk Assessments after a Four-Week Fall Prevention Program
Kingston, John T.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, v112 n4 p411-415 Jul-Aug 2018
The role of vision impairment (blindness and low vision) related to the risk of falling has been well documented. Reduced visual acuity, as well as poor contrast sensitivity, field restriction, and loss of depth perception are established contributors to falls (Lamoureux et al., 2010). People with vision impairments fall as much as two to three times more often than those without impaired vision (Duquette, 2013; La Grow, Robertson, Campbell, Clarke, & Kerse, 2006). Many studies have examined the relationship between aging and falls, and fall assessments have been developed to determine fall risk for older adults. Other than vision rehabilitation services, there is no standard fall risk intervention for people with vision impairments, despite the higher rates of falls and the fear of falling within this population. The Western Blind Rehabilitation Center (WBRC), part of the Department of Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, provides comprehensive vision services to veterans while they are in residence at the facility. For fall prevention, WBRC uses a Matter of Balance (MOB), a nationally recognized, evidence-based fall prevention program that has been adapted for people with vision impairments through a project funded by the National Eye Institute. This article is about a study on the effectiveness of MOB using two assessments: (1) the Timed Up and Go (TUG) fall assessment; and (2) the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), a balance and gait assessment.
American Foundation for the Blind. 11 Penn Plaza Suite 300, New York, NY 10001. Tel: 800-232-5463; Tel: 212-502-7600; e-mail: afbinfo@afb.net; Web site: http://www.afb.org/store
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A