Hvordan kan medinddragende rehabilitering understøtte livskvaliteten hos patienter med AMD?

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequent cause of vision loss in older people in the western world. One in twelve Danes over age 60 suffer from AMD, of which 15% have wet AMD. Wet AMD can be treated with anti-VEFG medication to prevent vision loss. Little is known about the quality of life of patients with wet AMD.
Aim: To understand how involving rehabilitation can support quality of life for patients with wet AMD.
Method: Six semi-structured interviews were conducted. The analysis was inspired by hermeneutic principles.
Findings: The findings are described in three themes »Need for help versus need not to be a nuisance«, »the importance of the network«, and »the balance between realistic insight and preserved hope«.
Conclusion: The patients need knowledge of the disease, and they rely on good relationships and a network providing practical, personal and psychological support. Furthermore, the ability to develop new strategies to deal with the limitations caused by the eye disease is crucial.