Assessment of visual problems in elderly in an urban slum community of Mumbai

Background: Visual problems in the elderly share a major portion of the disability in the elderly. Visual impairment in the elderly can interfere with daily activities tremendously leading to dependence in many things. It can also lead to accidents and falls. Hence a study was carried out in an urban slum community at Mumbai to assess the various visual problems in the elderly, its causes and the prevalence. Methodology: Community based cross-sectional study of the elderly persons residing in an urban slum of Mumbai. Results: 65.54% (426) people had visual disability. Of 426 people with visual impairment 405(95.07%) people had low vision and 21 (4.93%) were blind. It was observed that errors of refraction (63.85%) and cataract (18.31%) were the most common cause of visual impairment. Conclusion: Visual impairment and disability is a major problem of the elderly. Errors of refraction and Cataract are the major causes for this disability which can be treated, thus preventing visual handicap and dependency