Have your eyes tested at home

REGULAR eyesight tests are important as we get older.older Yet 4 million people aged 60 and over don’t have these vital checks, often because it’s hard for them to get to an optician. In fact, an estimated 1.4 million people aged 65-plus are housebound, with little hope of having their eyes examined on the High Street. It means that sight can be at risk from conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, where so much can depend on early detection. Fortunately, however, it is possible to have your eyes tested at home. What’s more, the NHS will fund these vital home tests if you are unable to visit an optician unaccompanied, due to a mental or physical disability. And you might also be entitled to an Optical Voucher towards the cost of glasses. Visiting optometrists can bring portable versions of the equipment you would find in a High Street practice, such as a retinal camera. So you will have a comprehensive examination at home, tailored to your needs and capabilities, carried out by an experienced optometrist, all of whom receive training in such aspects as safeguarding. A visiting optometrist can also offer useful advice about your home surroundings, to maximise your visual performance and minimise the risk of a fall. More than 89,500 falls requiring hospital treatment happen each year as a result of eyesight problems, costing the NHS £269 million. So, it is important to have regular sight testing. There are now treatment options for even the wet form of macular degeneration, especially when detected early. And just having an up-to-date prescription for glasses can make a massive improvement in your quality of life.