Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of all randomised participants at pretest
| VSM (n=36) | Usual care (n=41) | All participants (n=77) | Significance | |
| Socio-demographic characteristics | ||||
| Age, years* | 0.53 | |||
| Mean (SD) | 79.4 (7.2) | 80.4 (6.3) | 79.1 (6.7) | |
| Range | 65 to 92 | 65 to 97 | 65 to 97 | |
| Gender | 0.21 | |||
| Male | 10 (27.8) | 17 (41.5) | 27 (35.1) | |
| Female | 26 (72.2) | 24 (58.5) | 50 (64.9) | |
| Marital status | 0.63 | |||
| Not married | 23 (63.9) | 24 (58.5) | 47 (61.0) | |
| Married or de facto | 13 (36.1) | 17 (41.5) | 30 (39.0) | |
| Living situation | 0.49 | |||
| Alone | 23 (63.9) | 23 (56.1) | 46 (59.7) | |
| With others | 13 (36.1) | 18 (43.9) | 31 (40.3) | |
| Education | 0.26 | |||
| Primary or less | 19 (52.8) | 15 (36.6) | 34 (44.2) | |
| Secondary school | 7 (19.4) | 14 (34.1) | 21 (27.3) | |
| Tertiary or vocational | 10 (27.8) | 12 (29.3) | 22 (28.6) | |
| Income (weekly) | 0.23 | |||
| ≤300 | 25 (69.4) | 23 (56.1) | 48 (62.3) | |
| 300+ | 11 (30.6) | 18 (43.9) | 29 (37.7) | |
| Country of birth | 0.30 | |||
| Australia/New Zealand | 22 (61.1) | 31 (75.6) | 53 (68.8) | |
| UK | 8 (22.2) | 6 (14.6) | 14 (18.2) | |
| Other | 6 (16.7) | 4 (9.8) | 10 (13.0) | |
| Clinical characteristics | ||||
| Health conditions | 0.79 | |||
| Vision loss only | 7 (19.4) | 7 (17.1) | 14 (18.2) | |
| Additional medical condition/s | 29 (80.5) | 34 (82.9) | 63 (81.8) | |
| Total no of health conditions | 54 | 69 | 123 | 0.46 |
| Mean (SD)* | 1.8 (0.8) | 2.0 (0.9) | 1.6 (1.1) | |
| Self-rated health | 0.15 | |||
| Excellent/very good | 6 (16.7) | 15 (36.6) | 21 (27.3) | |
| Good | 16 (44.4) | 14 (34.1) | 30 (39.0) | |
| Fair | 14 (38.9) | 12 (29.3) | 26 (33.8) | |
| Received low visual rehabilitation previously | 0.40 | |||
| Yes | 6 (16.7) | 10 (24.4) | 16 (20.8) | |
| No | 30 (83.3) | 31 (75.6) | 61 (79.2) | |
| Age when vision loss affected daily activities, mean (SD)* | 77.3 (7.0) | 77.2 (7.9) | 77.3 (7.5) | 0.94 |
| Years since vision loss affected daily activities | 0.31 | |||
| One or less | 20 (55.5) | 18 (43.9) | 38 (49.4) | |
| More than one | 16 (44.4) | 23 (56.1) | 39 (50.6) | |
| Primary diagnosis | 0.16 | |||
| Age-related macular degeneration | 26 (72.2) | 35 (85.4) | 61 (79.2) | |
| Other eye disease | 10 (27.8) | 6 (14.6) | 16 (20.8) | |
| Visual impairment | 0.40 | |||
| Mild | 9 (25.0) | 7 (17.1) | 16 (20.8) | |
| Moderate | 13 (36.1) | 21 (51.2) | 34 (44.1) | |
| Severe | 14 (38.9) | 13 (31.7) | 27 (35.1) | |
| Log of weighted visual acuity*, mean (SD) | 0.97 (0.50) | 1.0 (0.46) | 0.98 (0.47) | 0.79 |
| Log of worst eye, mean (SD)* | 1.41 (0.79) | 1.54 (0.77) | 1.48 (0.78) | 0.48 |
| Log of best eye mean (SD)* | 0.82 (0.48) | 0.82 (0.45) | 0.82 (0.46) | 0.98 |
| Subjective visual impairment† | 0.11 | |||
| Fair | 7 (19.4) | 3 (7.3) | 10 (13.0) | |
| Poor | 29 (80.5) | 38 (92.7) | 67 (87.0) | |
| Depressed | 0.24 | |||
| Yes | 18 (50.0) | 15 (36.6) | 33 (42.9) | |
| No | 18 (50.0) | 26 (63.4) | 44 (57.1) | |