Experience of Elderly People with Charles Bonnet Syndrome Due to Visual Impairment

Abstract

Purpose: To interpret the experience of elderly people with Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) due to visual impairment from the perspective of embodied perception.

Method: Participant observation and unstructured interviews were carried out with Patient A, who had visual impairment complicated by hallucinations and depression. The patient’s narratives were then interpreted based on Merleau-Ponty’s theory and Ito’s theory of embodiment.

Results: By interpreting the experience of Patient A, the following six themes were derived as processes for accepting the characteristics of hallucinations accompanying visual impairment and the distress of experiencing loss: (1) “the impact of thoughts and feelings on vision and the onset of hallucinations,” (2) “invasive hallucinations and depression due to repeated experiences of loss,” (3) “sensory compensation,” (4) “an incipient ability to live vicariously through others,” (5) “the manifestation of what has been lost,” and (6) “acceptance of fate.”

Conclusion: These results suggest that vision is subject to the thoughts and feelings of those affected by impairment, and that hallucinations and depression can be transformed as a result of sensory compensation, connections with others, and the acceptance of impairment and loss. Thus, after understanding the distress experienced by those affected, it seems important to support the process of accepting impairment and loss while aiding in the reconstruction of lifestyles and the quest to find meaning in life.