Reduction in vision is not inevitable but a manageable consequence of getting older. Some physiological and disease processes associated with ageing may reduce vision and, in some cases, this reduction in vision cannot be treated. Much of it can be prevented, however. Prevention of visual loss is one of the keys to the maintenance of independence in older people. This article describes the main visual conditions associated with ageing and considers what can and should be done by the older person and their network of friends, relatives and carers to ensure that vision is maintained by the early detection and treatment of eye problems and that independence is maintained by putting strategies in place to help the person manage any untreatable vision loss.