Pilot study on activities of daily living limitations in adults with hemianopsia.

OBJECTIVE

I sought to obtain a general understanding of the limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) experienced by adults with hemianopsia and quandrantanopsia from acquired brain injury.

METHOD

A semistructured interview addressing the perception of difficulty completing ADLs because of vision loss and a reading performance test were administered to 46 participants referred to a low vision rehabilitation program.

RESULTS

Participants reported difficulty completing two basic ADLs, personal hygiene-grooming and feeding, and several instrumental ADLs, including driving, shopping, financial management, telephone usage, and meal preparation. ADL limitations appear to be related to the amount of visual search needed to complete the ADL and disruption of the performance skills of reading, writing, and mobility.

CONCLUSION

People with hemianopsia experience limitations in specific ADLs as a direct result of the disruption of the visual field. Further investigation is needed to confirm these findings and explore interventions to improve ADL performance.