Certainly one of the priceless perks of living in our senior community is our residents’ easy accessibility to support groups. All of these groups are exclusively for Sun City/Huntley seniors and are facilitated by our residents.
“Support groups serve as an excellent source of information and as a sounding board for their members,” Cathy Segarra, Centegra’s Wellness Center Program Manager, said in the August edition of Lifestyles. “In a support group meeting, members are encouraged to share their experiences and provide knowledge, guidance, and information in a confidential, supportive environment.”
Low vision is when eyesight cannot be brought to a normal level of vision. Our former vision support groups were known as V.I.S.A. (Visually Impaired Support and Assistance led by Mary and Ken Kozy) and V.I.E.W. (Visually Impaired Education and Wellness led by Pat McMahon), Sun City/Huntley Lions and Centegra’s Wellness Center sponsored both groups.
Linda Hallman, who was active in the two former organizations, has categorized V.I.S.A.’s notes and resources invaluable to the Sun City residents with low vision. Her resulting book can be found in Centegra’s Wellness Center.
On August 19, the new group, M’Eye Low Vision Support Group, once again supported by Centegra’s Wellness Center, had its first meeting under its new name and new resident facilitators, Bonnie Hibel and Marlene Pilger.
“It is wonderful that [Hibel and Pilger] have the passion and interest to get involved to connect with people in the community who have vision loss,” Hallman, who continues to lend support to M’Eye as part of their phone team, said.
“My personal choice is to embrace my loss of sight as a challenge that I can overcome; my sight does not identify me,” Hibel said at the group’s kickoff meeting. “The individual needs to understand and accept the loss of vision in order to move forward. You need to be able to function in the larger world beyond your home.”
Pilger, the group’s second facilitator, has the same low vision diagnosis as her partner. Both ladies were emphatic on stating that while every eye condition is unique, “How [we] got here doesn’t matter, but we do need to share major functions of our eyes with others.”
Hibel stated the mission of the support group is “to be a product of all of us. Therefore, it is extremely important to us to hear from you.”
As both ladies thanked their husbands for gratefully appreciated aid, the meeting’s intro ended and lively conversation ensued between the 23 residents present. It was apparent that participants had many forms of low vision with varying degrees of vision loss. Hibel ascertained from low vision residents present that the “biggest stumbling block” to low vision was the inability to drive and maintain one’s independence.
Hibel added that the use of her cane has helped her use trains with assistance by train employees and others when needed. The importance of knowing what sources are available for public and private transportation was also discussed openly. Facilitators asked Hallman to bring in a complete list of transportation support to the group’s next meeting. Next discussed were helpful hints that can enhance low vision residents’ daily lives.
Colored toothpaste and colored toothbrushes, the use of velcro and tactile dots and rubberbands, and the use of other senses and one’s memory were suggested. It appears because each individual’s perception of light differs with loss of vision, television viewing and artificial and natural light become a personal experience. One attendee with fluorescent lights overhead was able to paint pictures with the added aid of daylight white light bulbs.
Another participant was interested in finding others with his disability for treatment comparisons. Other topics were separating clothes by color, using the phone key pad, shopping independently, and enjoying trips to the movies.
M’Eye Low Vision Support Group meets on the third Monday of each month at Fountain View’s breakout room.
If you have low vision: a form of AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and other severe vision loss, plan on attending M’Eye Low Vision Support Group’s next meeting on Monday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m. in Fountain View’s breakout room.
Low Vision: Part 3: (September 12 Edition): Low vision’s use of therapy, technology, research, and support resources
M’Eye Low Vision Support Group
Meets the third Monday of each
month at Fountain View’s breakout
room.
Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m.
