Vision loss has a significant impact on a person’s ability to engage with the world, something that becomes increasingly difficult as we age. Seniors deal with considerable visual demands (driving, communicating, reading) and reduced vision affects their quality of life, ability to enjoy activities, and age-in-place. Another challenge that seniors are faced with is declining cognitive function as they age.

Hearing loss has already been identified as a top modifiable risk factor for dementia and there is increasing evidence to suggest an association between visual and cognitive impairments.  Therefore maintaining healthy vision in older adults may also be an important strategy for reducing the risk of dementia.  

We are collaborating with Re:LAB, to test Re:Garde is the first low-cost, personalized, remotely-managed program that can improve visual perception.  The main Virtual Reality (VR) application, Re:Vision, has been previously validated in clinical trials at the DJK Eye Institute at Toronto Western Hospital.  Our clinical studies showed feasibility and beneficial effects of the Re:Garde-system in small groups of older-adult patients with low vision.  Now dozens of seniors will have the opportunity to train and improve their vision by using the Re:Garde program in a community setting. Two additional vision tests (Re:ViewD and Re:ShapeD) have been included in the Re:Garde suite to provide further opportunity for identifying  visual decline early on so that individuals may take corrective action as soon as possible.   Maintaining good vision in older adults will in turn lead to prolonged independence and possibly reduce the risk of age-related cognitive declines such as dementia.   

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