The sarse literature on blind nursing home residents describes them as isolated, withdrawn, and dependent. We introduce a model that links blindness to immobility, isolation, dependence, loss of affect, and disinterest in the outside world. Using data from one nursing home, we compared the functional status and mobility of residents who were blind before admission with that of residents who became blind after admission. The results suggest that preadmission blind residents' dependence, isolation, and immobility were attributed not solely to their blindness, but to their severe nonvisual disabilities, including hearing impairments. Postadmission blind residents, however, did suffer because of their blindness. To improve blind residents' quality of life, we offer practical suggestions for training nursing home staff.
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