Final answer:
The common visual impairment in older people due to damage to the central fovea is macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) leads to the death of retinal pigment epithelium cells, subsequently causing the macula to deteriorate, which results in a black spot in central vision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The visual impairment in older people that is caused by damage to the central fovea is c) Macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness, especially in the Western hemisphere. It affects the macula, an oval-shaped pigmented area near the center of the retina that is specialized for high visual acuity, and has the highest concentration of cones which are responsible for our acute vision. The disease occurs with the death of the retinal pigment epithelium cells which provide nutrients to the macula. As these cells die, so does the macula, leading to a loss of central vision and causing a black spot that expands over time. While conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, and retinal detachment also affect vision, they do not primarily damage the central fovea as macular degeneration does.