Rehabilitation needs and activity limitations of adults with a visual impairment entering a low vision rehabilitation service in England.

Key rehabilitation needs for adults at entry to services require both optical and non-optical interventions. As rehabilitative need was not associated with the level of visual impairment, eyecare professionals should not wait until the end of medical treatment before referral for support. Similarly, rehabilitative need was associated with younger age, indicating the importance to refer younger people with sight loss at an early stage. The use of structured assessment, such as the PAI, ensures goals that have an impact upon quality of life are specifically identified. Depression screening on entry to rehabilitation is relevant as it predicts both perceived difficulty and rehabilitative need.