PREVALENCE OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AND PATTERN OF OCULAR MORBIDITY AMONG INMATES IN A SPECIAL CARE WARD FOR ELDERLY CITIZENS.

Background: Visual Impairment (VI) and blindness are strongly associated with aging and late life disability. A large proportion of this VI is avoidable. This study was done to estimate the prevalence of VI and pattern of ocular morbidity among inmates in a special care ward for elderly citizens in a tertiary care hospital Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 72 patients. A questionnaire including sociodemographic profile, systemic conditions and detailed ocular history was collected. Distant visual acuity was assessed and VI was graded according to WHO classification(2018)into mild(<6/12to6/18),moderate(<6/18to6/60), severe(<6/60to3/60) and blindness(<3/60).Anterior segment examination, intra ocular pressure(IOP)measurement, Dry eye disease(DED)evaluation and dilated fundus examination was done. Results: Mean age was70.7 years.66.7% were females. The prevalence of VI was83.3%, majority of them having moderate VI. The leading cause of VI was Cataract (81.9%)in all the categories of VI followed by Diabetic Retinopathy(DR)in moderate and severe VI and Age Related Macular Degeneration(ARMD)in mild VI.58.3% had only primary level of education. 87.5% of the patients belonged to a low socioeconomic status.38.9% had not been visited by their relatives in over an year.31.9% had their previous ocular examination over an year ago. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus(T2DM)(66.7%), Dyslipidaemia(DLP)(31.9%), Systemic Hypertension(SHTN)(45.8%)and Heart disease(5.56%)were the comorbidities. 61.11% had DED, 29.2% had DR,36.1% had ARMD, 19.4% had Hypertensive Retinopathy(HTNR)and 2.8% had Glaucoma. Conclusions: Prevalence of VI was found to be 83.3%, majority being moderate category. Cataract was found to be the leading cause of ocular morbidity which is a treatable cause of VI. Educating elderly people and their caregivers about common eye conditions, importance of preventive measures and early treatment will help in preventing ocular morbidity.