Hilery Zusi: Regaining independence through low vision care

Hilery Zusi asked his wife Alice if it was finally time to take away one of his greatest symbols of independence—his ability to drive. 

His eyesight had been on the decline for a while, a normal occurrence as you get older.

But the conversation hadn't gotten serious yet, because they both wanted to safely preserve his independence for as long as possible... until the day when it was no longer safe.  

“He came to me and said, ‘Listen. I want you to hold my driver’s license.’” she recalls. 

How important had driving been to Hilery Zusi? “I loved driving,” he says.

“Driving was an extension of my being.”  

“I was a salesman all my life,” he says, estimating he’d driven more than a million miles selling pet supplies from Washington D.C. to Maine. “I was constantly on the road.”

Eventually, they found themselves in the New Jersey practice of Maria Richman, O.D., for low vision care in January 2024. 

Hilery is no stranger to eye doctors. As a child, he suffered a retinal detachment in his left eye that  permanently impaired his sight in that eye. With aging, his right eye became impaired too, from age-related conditions: macular degeneration and glaucoma. 

“He was wearing glasses and had a magnifier, but nothing was helping him with his everyday activities,” Dr. Richman recalls. 

He was introduced to various devices – a favorite, according to Dr. Richman, was a virtual reality (VR) headset – to maintain his quality of life. So, while he no longer drives, he’s actively engaged in life. 

“Through a low vision exam in our office we address the areas that he missed the most and, with multiple follow-up visits, we were able to give him back the pleasure of watching TV (especially the Olympics), visiting with friends and being able to keep up with his mail, do his reading and enjoy his hobbies. He can even untangle his wife’s necklaces when they get tangled,” Dr. Richman says. 

He’s able to see people’s faces, recognize the delivery man at the door and enjoy photos and article in his emails. Until he saw Dr. Richman, Hilery didn’t appreciate the number of visual aids out there to help him. 

“His low vision devices all serve a specific need to help him to regain the areas in his everyday life that he was missing,” Dr. Richman says.  

Says Alice Zusi: “I can't say enough about this lady. I wrote an article for our community about help that can be sought through Low Vision services because we have 1,600 homes here.” 

And now Hilery doesn’t have to sit practically on top of his 75-inch TV to see the numbers on the uniforms of his beloved New York Giants. He can sit 10 to 12 feet away and see. 

It feels good, he says. “The day doesn’t go by like watching a pot of water trying to boil,” Hilery Zusi says. 

Read more about vision after age 60. 

Dr. Maria Richman

Dr. Maria Santullo Richman is a Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation Optometrist in New Jersey. A graduate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, she trained in a low vision externship at Philadelphia's Scheie Eye Institute. She is the founder and Chairperson of the Low Vision Committee of the New Jersey Society of Optometric Physicians. She is an international speaker and FDA clinical investigator.

Dr. Richman has presented research and lectured at many Optometric, Educational, and Rehabilitation conferences. She is currently providing services as a vision consultant through the N.J. Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

She was selected as one of the Top 50 Women in the Optical Industry for 2006.  She was elected President of the NJ Society of Optometric Physicians in September 2013.  Dr. Richman was the Chairperson of the American Optometry Association Vision Rehabilitation Section. She is very proud to be a part of Shore Family Eyecare near Manasquan, NJ.