Fw: fact sheet for 2010 Independent Living Older Blind(ILOB)

For many older men and women, significant loss of vision turns their Golden Years into lonely, fearful ones. As people become older and their fading eyesight begins to interfere with their normal activities, they tend to withdraw from their community.  They are fearful of falling, becoming lost or simply looking confused and foolish.  In time they become invisible, isolated and cut off from the very information they need to reestablish themselves. Older blind and visually impaired people need to learn new ways to accomplish routine daily tasks which can enable them to live independent and productive lives, minimizing the need for more costly in-home or nursing home care. Essential skills include:

• Independent living skills—using specialized adaptive devices and techniques for personal and household management.
• Communication skills—using large print, writing guides, and time-telling devices, and using Braille for reading or labeling and making notes.
• Mobility skills—using orientation techniques, long canes, and other mobility tools for safe and independent travel.
• Low-vision therapy—using special low-vision optical and adaptive devices.

 

In Washington State, The Independent Living for Older Blind Program (ILOB) is the only statewide program providing training, counseling, adaptive devices, and information to enable older people with vision loss to maintain or increase independence in their homes and community. The ILOB program, administered by the WA Department of Services for the Blind (DSB), serves people 55 years of age and older whose vision loss is interfering with their normal activities.  

 

In state fiscal year 2010, the ILOB Program assisted 1100 individuals with gaining the confidence and skills to perform tasks such as meal preparation, managing medications, household chores, getting around at home and in the community, reading, writing, banking, recreational and other activities.  In other words, to live full, independent, meaningful lives as they had done prior to vision loss. 63% of those served were at least 80 years of age, with 23% over 90 years old.  87% of ILOB participants lived in a retirement community or in their own home.  With the assistance of the ILOB services all of these individuals were able to remain in the community. The cost for this skills training is about $1,000 per individual.  The major share of this money is Federal dollars with only 10% provided by the state. 

 

Recent state budget cuts have already strained the ILOB Program.  The waiting list for services averages 100 individuals. DSB's projected budget cut for next year is an additional $250,000 state dollars which will also impact receipt of federal funds. This means that DSB will likely have to reduce the number of individuals served in ILOB and reduce the types of services available through the program.

 

According to the American Foundation for the Blind(AFB): 

"Low vision affects more than 6.5 million Americans aged 65 and older. If you have been told by an eye care professional that you are visually impaired in a manner that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses, but you still have some usable vision, you have low vision." Using AFB's figures, Washington State has approximately 135 thousand older adults with low vision. The Washington Council of the Blind(WCB) believes that people with low vision who are 55 years of age and older represent our greatest underserved population. 

 

The WCB Aging and Blindness Committee is looking at steps we can take to reach low vision folks who are not aware of the ILOB services, as well as ways of partnering   with DSB to bring attention to the need for both funding and staffing.