Participants are then asked the same questions on the types of emotional and physical support they give to others. While this study is still in progress, some preliminary analyses have been completed. Results show that when it comes to emotional support, such as discussing private matters and giving or receiving advice, participants report that they give significantly more than they receive. When asked about support given to others, some people commented on being able to provide emotional support, such as advice to family members and friends, even though they were no longer able to provide certain types of physical support, such as driving. Many respondents, however, said that they still provide physical assistance in certain ways, such as watching a neighbor's house, cooking for a sister or looking after grandchildren.
Results show that giving and receiving support are both important.
The more support given and received among family members and friends, especially emotional support, the better people adapt to vision loss. This bears out the findings in earlier research conducted at Lighthouse International, which indicated that while family members provided a greater amount of support than friends, support from both family and friends is related to better adjustment. This study demonstrates that visually impaired older adults have active support networks of family members and friends, and that the support they both give and receive improves adaptation. The next step will be to look at how changes over time in the amount and types of physical and emotional support both given and received affect people's adjustment. Joann P. Reinhardt, PhD , is a Senior Research Associate at the Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute of Lighthouse International.