Vision-enhancing interventions in nursing home residents and their short-term effect on physical and cognitive function.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of vision-enhancing interventions (cataract surgery or refractive error correction) on physical function and cognitive status in nursing home residents. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING Seventeen nursing homes in Birmingham, Alabama. PARTICIPANTS A total of 187 English-speaking adults aged 55 and older. INTERVENTION Participants took part in one of two vision-enhancing interventions: cataract surgery or refractive error correction. Each group was compared against a control group (persons eligible for but who declined cataract surgery or who received delayed correction of refractive error). MEASUREMENTS Physical function (ability to perform activities of daily living and mobility) was assessed using a series of self-report and certified nursing assistant ratings at baseline and at 2 months for the refractive error correction group and at 4 months for the cataract surgery group. The Mini Mental State Examination was also administered. RESULTS No significant differences existed within or between groups from baseline to follow-up on any of the measures of physical function. Mental status scores significantly declined from baseline to follow-up for the immediate (P=.05) and delayed (P<.02) refractive error correction groups and for the cataract surgery control group (P=.05). CONCLUSION Vision-enhancing interventions did not lead to short-term improvements in physical functioning or cognitive status in this sample of elderly nursing home residents.