The diagnosis of visual impairment is life changing for patients as it has huge impacts on activities and tasks of daily living, self-identity, and mental wellbeing. In order to adapt to living with visual impairment, a multidimensional, holistic service is required in terms of practical, social, and emotional support and rehabilitation in order to empower people to become independent.1
THE IDEAL SUPPORT SERVICE
The mental health needs of people with visual impairment, and in fact chronic diseases in general, are an important aspect that needs to be addressed as part of a holistic service. The Living Better Project,2 a Scottish Government-funded initiative in 2008, identified five key types of support that patients with chronic diseases desired:
emotional support — receiving empathy and understanding from others;
informational support — understanding the illness, and how to access resources and learn coping strategies in order to self-manage;
assistance and practical support — transport and services to help patients be socially active and pursue activities;
peer support — the opportunity to share experiences and information with peers for empathy and knowledge; and
South Asians with diabetes and CHD desired bilingual, religiously appropriate, and gender-sensitive local support services.
The above themes are the same for patients with visual impairment and many of these findings have been reflected in research specific to visual impairment. Specifically, patients with visual impairment have expressed a need for more emotional support and counselling, to gain skills …