Question

A blind, married couple was living in their own home until the wife’s health started to decline and she became wheelchair bound. The couple then moved into an assisted living facility. Both were about 75 years old. Assessment by a healthcare professional found that both residents could sense some light differentiation. Placement of low-voltage recessed floor lighting down the middle of the main hallway leading to the dining room was recommended, and the administrator followed up on the recommendation. The blind husband could then look up and track the light so that he could orient and guide himself to the dining room while pushing his wife in the wheelchair. Because of this modification, the residents were able to regain at least some independent mobility for accessing the dining room. The staff was educated to not move or rearrange the patients’ living environment, because blind people orient themselves by counting steps, using spatial reference points and tactile cues. (Please submit your answers to the assignment section on Canvas)

1. Which health care professional, discussed in your readings, should take the lead in assessing the need for a lighted pathway and also educating the staff and why?
2. What quality of life factors exist in this case? How were they addressed by installing floor lighting?
3. Should the facility arrange to provide any additional services that would facilitate daily living for this couple? If so who should have that responsibility?

Answer 1

1. Which health care professional, discussed in your readings, should take the lead in assessing the need for a lighted pathway and also educating the staff and why?

An Ophthalmologist should take the decision since he/she is specialized in eye and vision care. This can be done better in consultation with administrator of healthcare facility manager.

2. What quality of life factors exist in this case? How were they addressed by installing floor lighting?

There were a number of factors related to ensuring safer and friendlier environment can be provided to the blind couple. Some of them include:

• Providing controlled glare of the light
• Not removing the furniture and other setting of the things to facilitate the adaption of new technique
• Addition of mild recognition of light as a feature to understand the pathway and reach the pointed landmarks so that easy and confident mobility can be achieved.

3. Should the facility arrange to provide any additional services that would facilitate daily living for this couple? If so who should have that responsibility?

Some of the additional support features that can be implemented by the facility for the blind couple:

• Increased contrast of paint since some light perception is present in the patients. Using different colors can help in sensing the objects and rooms.
• Provide training on understanding the combination of light, color and the distance to point out the landmarks that they can use easily.
• Addition of light and colors in conversation to improve their use in daily life which can work as an additional feature for achieving daily tasks