Mapping the Gap: Understanding the Need for Occupational Therapy Among Older Adults With Visual Impairment

Importance: Visual impairment (VI) affects more than 9 million Americans age 65 yr and older, and it limitsmeaningful participation in daily living. Occupational therapy can have a considerable impact on the functionalperformance of those with VI; however, information is limited on the existing occupational therapy servicesavailable for older adults with VI across the United States.Objective: To calculate the prevalence of VI by U.S. county and quantify and locate the existing occupationaltherapy practitioners with certification in vision rehabilitation.Design: Synthetic estimation was used to calculate the prevalence of VI among those age 65 yr and older in theUnited States by county. Geographic Information Systems mapping was used to illustrate the prevalence of VI andavailability of occupational therapy practitioners with specialized training in vision rehabilitation by U.S. town.Results: Communities with high concentrations of older adults with VI were more prevalent in the center of theUnited States, whereas occupational therapy practitioners with specialty training in vision rehabilitation wereconcentrated primarily on the east coast of the United States, on both Florida coasts, in selected cities in Texasand California, in western Pennsylvania, and in Alabama.Conclusions and Relevance: The availability of occupational therapy practitioners with specialty training in visionrehabilitation does not match the visual rehabilitation needs of older adults in the United States. These findings canbe used to prioritize efforts for new service provision, provide outreach to underserved populations, and guideoccupational therapy education to improve access to vision rehabilitation throughout the United States.What This Article Adds: The data provided in this study can inform resource allocation, workforce development,and entry-level occupational therapy education to address the ongoing needs of older adults with VI.