The Coping Strategies of Older Adults with Age Related Vision Loss (ARVL) – A Narrative Account

The goal of this study was to share the stories of older adults with age-related vision loss (ARVL) and how they have coped to maintain meaningful occupational engagement. Grounded in a constructivist paradigm, data collection and analysis were guided by the narrative inquiry methodology. The participants consisted of six older adults aged 60 or older, diagnosed with one of the following ARVL conditions: macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and/or glaucoma. Participants were recruited from vision loss non-profit organizations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) and the Alliance for Equity of Blind Canadians (AEBC). One older adult was recruited through snowball sampling, and two were participants in previous research conducted in the Vision Loss in Later Life Research Lab (VITAL). Data collection occurred across three narrative interviews. Each of these interviews were audio recorded, and semi-structured. These interviews took place both over the phone or in person, as per the older adult’s request. Fraser’s (2004) line-by-line method was employed to produce a thorough thematic analysis based on the stories shared by each of the older adults. Three main themes were identified, and coping mechanisms were grouped by family including: (1) Psychological coping mechanisms, (2) Social coping mechanisms and, (3) Behavioural coping mechanisms. This research expands knowledge on how older adults cope with ARVL and the importance of maintaining meaningful occupation for older adults with vision loss. The future directions and implications of the research are discussed and unpacked as well