Assessment of Visual Function in Institutionalized Elderly Patients

Objective

To describe the visual function and ocular health of frail elderly patients institutionalized in a tertiary care university-affiliated geriatric hospital.

Design

Retrospective file review.

Setting

A university-affiliated geriatric hospital.

Participants

440 patient files.

Measurements

The archived clinical files of patients from the long-term care beds of the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal, who had died between April 2000 and 2004 were reviewed. Pertinent medical and visual characteristics were extracted and entered into a database for analysis.

Results

The age of the patients ranged from 65 to 104 years. The major ocular conditions observed were cataract, pseudophakia, conjunctivitis-blepharitis, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Of the 231 patients referred for a partial or full eye examination, visual acuity was available in 178. Visual impairment was considered absent in 87 patients; mild in 52; moderate in 17; and 22 patients were legally blind. Of the 105 patients referred for a full eye examination, an evaluation of the refraction, visual acuity, and ocular health was possible in 89, irrespective of their cognitive status.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that the vast majority of severely disabled elderly patients examined retained good visual acuity into advanced age. The most prevalent ocular conditions observed are treatable, thereby emphasizing the importance of regular eye care for the institutionalized frail elderly. The results clearly demonstrate that it is possible to perform a complete evaluation of visual function and ocular health in the elderly institutionalized patient, independent of age, cognitive status, or communication disorders.

Keywords: Dementia, frail elderly, long-term care units, visual examination