Opticians advocate for home eye tests
Opticians across the UK are advocating for more home eye tests for vulnerable and elderly people who cannot leave their homes.
Almost 3 million people in the UK would benefit from home eye care visits but most of these visits are not done by a qualified optician.
In Scotland the way of going about home visits is easier than England as here it is possible to have a home visit without too many administrative steps.
However, in England it can take up to 3 weeks between an appointment being booked and all the paperwork being filled out to complete a home visit.
Some opticians prefer to have patients come into the practice as they feel that this is the best way to do the job properly.
But others, including Founder of Specsavers, Dame Mary Perkins find the home visits rewarding:
“It’s a chance to talk to somebody, listen to their eye problems or whatever problems they have.
“It’s a very special job if that is the job you take on. Its very special to be able to meet people and to hear what they have to say.
“Some of them are quite lonely or on their own so it is a privilege to be able to talk to them and look after their eyes.”
In England they are advocating for a similar system to Scotland when it comes to home visits as at the moment it is very difficult for both the patient and the optician to organise an appointment.
Eye problems are also a big issue when it comes to elderly people falling as a lot of these times falls come from someone not being able to see properly.
These eye tests are not only to help people with their sight but also to try and catch early signs of potential diseases that can be found in the eye first.
Some people who live on their own and cannot leave their house suffer with loneliness and isolation and if they start to lose their sight they can feel even more isolated.
These are the types of people who can benefit from an at-home eye test.
