03 Examining the Resiliency of Visually Impaired Older Adults with Cognitive Decline Aging in Place

Abstract

Visual impairment is a leading chronic condition among older adults and is usually connected with a decline in their performance of instrumental activities of daily living. Understanding the challenges of those with visual impairment is paramount as the population ages over the next four decades. This study examined the hypothesis that older adults who were diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration as young adults and now have a mild cognitive impairment have better coping mechanisms than older adults who were recently diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration. This study utilized a mixed-methods approach to address the complexities in health science research and align with the interdisciplinary field of gerontology. Participants were 27 older adults aged 65 years of age and older. There was no quantitative difference in resiliency between participants with juvenile macular degeneration (n = 7, M = 77.71, SD = 9.46) and those with age-related macular degeneration (n = 10, M = 72.60, SD = 8.25), t(15) = 1.185, p = .254. The qualitative results revealed that older adults living with visual impairment develop strategies to improve their quality of life and help them age in place.