“We're all in the same boat”: Health benefits of group training among older adults with degenerative eye disease

Close to 20% of citizens in Scandinavia over the age of 60 are affected by the eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the leading cause of blindness among older adults. This paper presents results from an interdisciplinary study conducted at the Zealand University Hospital in Denmark. Here, older adults with AMD participated in a 52-week training programme, to test whether traditional strength training in groups twice a week could halt the progress of their vision loss. Qualitative research with 26 participants was carried out prior to or after training (interviews and focus groups) along with observations during training sessions. This research has given insight into the participants’ experiences of living with visual loss including how it affects their physical health and mental wellbeing. Themes that emerged through the qualitative data included feelings of sorrow upon diagnosis, social isolation from family and friends, and feelings of shame due to loss of normality. The qualitative study found the participants to have considerable benefits from the training interventions. Group training improved their physical health and mobility and strengthened feelings of empowerment and community belonging, because they established social relationships with other AMD patients. On this basis, the results show how physical group activity strengthens physical and mental wellbeing among older adults with degenerative eye disease.