Protecting and restoring vision in older age
Today, an estimated 73 percent of people living with avoidable vision impairment are older people – amounting to 800 million people globally.
As the world's population ages, this figure will rise to 1.28 billion by 2050 unless urgent action is taken.
The Fred Hollows Foundation is working to ensure that older people receive the eye care they need to live healthier and more independent lives, through innovative country projects, research and advocacy to drive cross-sector collaboration and policy change for impact.
Our initiatives are transforming lives in Vietnam, China, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, and advancing the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).
Our research drives inclusive, responsive healthcare and we work with governments, policymakers and global health leaders to prioritise eye care within ageing and health agendas.
The importance of vision in healthy ageing
Vision is at the heart of healthy ageing, impacting not just an individual's ability to see but also their overall health and wellbeing.
Dr Vânia de la Fuente-Núñez, Healthy Ageing Senior Advisor at The Fred Hollows Foundation, highlights the serious consequences of vision loss in older age:
"Losing sight means facing an increased risk of mortality, cognitive decline, and depression, and, where environments are not accessible, it often means losing your independence, confining many older people to their home, and increasing social isolation and loneliness in later life.”
While many eye conditions become more common with age, blindness is not an inevitable part of growing older. Recognising vision as a key component of overall health is essential to ensuring a better quality of life for older populations.
The report Connecting Healthy Ageing and Vision provides an overview of the eye health of older people today. It proposes key actions to protect and preserve vision in later life, emphasising the need for stronger collaboration between the eye health and ageing sectors.
Addressing the needs of older people with disabilities
A new policy report by The Fred Hollows Foundation and CBM Australia reveals that older people with disabilities face greater disadvantages in development and humanitarian settings due to intersecting ageism and ableism, limiting their access to essential services, information and support.
Dr Vânia de la Fuente-Núñez, Healthy Ageing Senior Advisor at The Fred Hollows Foundation, said this group is consistently under-represented in decision-making processes.
“As a result, their unique needs are frequently overlooked in development and humanitarian programs, including access to assistive technologies (like glasses) or specialised services for individuals with cognitive decline.”
The policy report makes a number of recommendations for governments, Older People’s Associations, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities as well as the development and humanitarian sectors.
Eliminating barriers for older women
Existing inequities in healthcare access and other socioeconomic factors contribute to the increased burden of vision impairment among older people, with a notable impact on older women and those with limited education or lower income levels.
Older women bear a disproportionate burden, accounting for 56 percent of vision loss cases in the second half of life. They frequently encounter substantial barriers and compounded forms of bias, including ageism and sexism, resulting in unequal access to services and treatment compared to men.
Caregivers of people with vision loss are often women and girls, including older women, who struggle to balance their own needs with caregiving responsibilities. This can lead to anxiety, depression, lost opportunities for education or income, and financial hardship for families.
