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New initiative to improve eye health in care homes
As proud sponsors of National Eye Health Week, Pocklington is happy to announce new work on the importance of good eye health for care home residents.
Key information on sight loss and eye care will be presented to the National Care Home’s Congress to be held in Birmingham on 22/23 June and circulated to 18,000 care homes across the UK.
Important tips for ensuring good eye care will be distributed in a special sight loss bulletin produced by My Home Life, a movement working to improve the lives of people in care homes.The bulletin, funded by Pocklington and based on Pocklington research, provides essential information on sight loss for managers and care home staff.
The tips for ensuring good eye care include:
Look for signs of sight loss: Although very common among older people, it can be easily missed. Warning signs include residents “playing” with their food, giving up hobbies or squinting because lights are too bright.
Take care of spectacles:These are next to useless if they’re dirty, used for the wrong purpose, or not used at all.Staff can help by routinely cleaning people’s spectacles and labelling them for their purpose (eg reading) and with people’s names, as they are so easily lost.
Encourage sight tests:People over 70 should have an eye test more than once every two years. Some people need more regular tests and everyone should have a test if their sight changes suddenly or they have pain in their eyes. Links with optometrists can ensure appropriate tests and provide advice to homes.
Think about lighting: The right lighting can help make the most of a person’s vision.Place furniture alongside natural light; provide portable task lighting for close work; and make sure lighting is even and free of glare.
Talk about sight loss: Residents may need help to develop strategies to cope with sight loss.Staff should ask them what they need to make the most of their vision, find out about their particular eye condition and discuss specialist products that might help.
Follow the link to read the full text of the My Home Life bulletin and view the poster.
In the summer major new research projects for us will include an investigation of sight loss screening and eye care in care homes. The research will be carried out by City University, London, and will include a trial of the impact of new easy to use vision screening tools. If the results are positive this work could lead to a dramatic change in practice in care homes.A programme of vision checks could be developed which could pick up early signs of sight loss and encourage people to seek help.If caught in the early stages, and referred to optometrists, some conditions could be treated and others prevented from getting worse.The research is expected to involve care home providers and residents, optometrists and eye service commissioners as well as The College of Optometrists.
Follow the link to read the full press release.
