S4:E02 - What Do I Do Now? Finding the Next Step After Vision Loss

Navigating Life with Vision LossEpisode TitleWhat Do I Do Now? Finding the Next Step After Vision LossShow: Navigating Life with Vision LossHost: Kim WardlowGuest: Melody BettenhausenProducer: Jonathan PricePresented by: AftersightEpisode SummaryWhat happens when your vision is changing and your eye doctor tells you there is nothing more medically that can be done?That sentence can sound like the end of the road. But as Kim Wardlow and Melody Bettenhausen discuss in this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, it may simply mean it is time to begin asking a different question: What can I still do, and what tools can help me do it?Melody joins Kim to explain the role of low vision rehabilitation and the work of Ensight Skills Center. They explore how low vision optometrists and occupational therapists help people identify usable vision, establish personal goals, and develop practical strategies for everyday life.Sometimes those solutions involve technology or orientation and mobility training. Other times they are surprisingly simple: better lighting, magnification, high-contrast materials, bump dots, reorganizing a workspace, or learning a different way to accomplish a familiar task.Kim and Melody also discuss why rehabilitation should begin before someone reaches a crisis point, the importance of letting the person experiencing vision loss determine their own goals, and how family members can help without unintentionally taking away independence.They look at aging in place, progressive vision loss, transportation, support groups, emotional adjustment, family education, and the reality that two people with vision loss may experience the world very differently.The central message is clear: when your vision changes, there are still options. You do not have to figure them out alone.Contact InfoEnsight Skills CenterHeadquarters:1101 Oakridge Drive, Suite CFort Collins, CO 80525Phone: (970) 407-9999Email: info@ensightskills.orgWebsite: ensightskills.orgEnsight provides low vision rehabilitation and related services, with programs and outreach extending beyond its Fort Collins headquarters.AftersightPhone: (303) 786-7777Email: contact@aftersight.orgWebsite: aftersight.orgAddress: 1805 Hwy 42, Suite 220, Louisville, CO 80027ProducerJonathan PricePodcast and Program Producer, AftersightEmail: jonathan@aftersight.orgShow CreditsShow: Navigating Life with Vision LossHost: Kim WardlowGuest: Melody BettenhausenProducer: Jonathan PricePresented by: AftersightGuest organization: Ensight Skills Center