THE LATEST FROM MACULAR DEGENERATION PARTNERSHIP
JULY 2016 AMD UPDATE
 
New Technology detects progression of AMD

The ForeSeeHome monitoring device is a quick, simple test you can use at home to track vision changes.  The machine builds up a database of individual results and alerts your doctor if there is a loss of vision.  This example of telemedicine may be the next important advancement in the early detection and treatment of retinal changes associated with AMD.
 

AMD.org Affirmations


1.   Laugh (or at least smile)!   If you don't have anything in your day that's been particularly funny, recall a memory that makes you laugh.  It's hard to be negative when you are smiling.  

2.   Fake it 'til you make it.  Has AMD robbed you of your confidence?  Remember the lyrics of that Rogers and Hammerstein song and pretend you are strong. In time, it may be the person that people believe you are:
Whenever I feel afraid I hold my head erect
And whistle a happy tune
So no one will suspect I'm afraid

While shivering in my shoes I strike a careless pose
And whistle a happy tune
And no one ever knows I'm afraid

The result of this deception is very strange to tell
For when I fool the people
I fear I fool myself as well
Getting There
Travel for individuals with AMD can present challenges.  Researchers at Johns Hopkins University concluded AMD patients travel fewer miles and make less trips than those whose vision is not impacted by AMD.
Do you find that you are unwilling to go more than a few miles away from your home?  Do you find there are days when you are not interested in leaving your home?  If so, you are not alone.   Read more
Transportation Options 

This month, we reviewed research that showed individuals with AMD were less likely to travel far from home, and spent less time away from home. If you let it, AMD can rob you of your independence.  Read more about local transportation options so you won't be 'Home Alone'!

Another Travel Option 
GoGo Grandparent is a brand new company that makes it easier to take advantage of travel options like Uber and Lyft that have only been available to those with smart phones.  Set up to help seniors access rides, it may offer a convenient way for those with AMD to get around.
 

Make your Home AMD-Aware 
 
Dr. Karen Squier, OD, a low vision expert from Memphis offers some practical tips on making your living space a bit friendlier. 
WEBSITES WE LOVE:   www.allaboutvision.com
 


All About Vision is our absolute favorite "go to" website.  With more than 500 pages of content, you can spend entire days learning about vision disorders and all things related to eyecare. 
Produced by professionals who have decades of experience publishing journals for eye doctors, All About Vision relies on a team of optometrists and ophthalmologists to write and review articles.  The contributors are a combination of eye doctors who practice in community settings and university-based researchers and clinicians. The website's information is current, correct and there are new features added regularly.
Like a magazine, the website is underwritten in part by advertising, so you'll also find information about products and services that may interest you.  You can find coupons and discounts on everything from eye drops to sunglasses.
Their Vision Over 60 section is particularly helpful.  There is an easy to understand section on eye conditions that affect seniors including lots of information about AMD.  There is also a very useful list of potential eye emergencies that should be read by all seniors.  This website is definitely worth checking out and sharing with your friends.

Our Pledge . . .
 
The Macular Degeneration Partnership seeks to provide comprehensive and easily understood information about living with age-related macular degeneration for everyone who needs it.   Visit our website for more information, or call us at 888-430-9898 if you have a question. 
 
Good health to you,
 
Mary Prudden
Executive Program Director
Macular Degeneration Partnership


Founded in 1998, the Macular Degeneration Partnership is a program of the Discovery Cornea and Retina Center, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute University of California, Irvine.

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