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Providing training on the link between dementia and vision, and suggesting practical steps to alleviate some of the associated problems. These are just some of the initiatives that earned Northern Ireland domiciliary company Optomise the title 'Healthy Sight Practice of the Year' in the 2007 Optician Awards.
Established eight years ago by optometrists William Stockdale and Len Telford, Optomise specialises in eye care for the elderly and those living with physical or mental disability. In 2006, it increased the number of patients served by 24 per cent and saw an 18 per cent increase in referrals from health professionals. The company runs accredited training programmes for care home staff and has trained more than 5,000 staff.
Optomise also engages with the wider community through an extensive lecture programme on healthy sight and produces high-quality literature on the importance of eye care, often with a generic message. Last year alone, more than 2,000 people attended the company's talks to local groups and strong links were formed with charities and support agencies across the province. Stroke, fall prevention and diabetes were just some of the age-related issues covered in these community projects.
With all this activity, how did Optomise find the time to enter the Optician Awards? Stockdale explains that the company had entered twice before, winning 'Community Practice of the Year' in 2001 and reaching the shortlist in 2003. 'Whenever the awards come out we look for a category that applies to us,' he says.
Motivating his team of 20 was a strong incentive to enter and those who attended the awards ceremony were 'absolutely delighted' to find they had won. 'Day in, day out, our staff do a really difficult job and they're not always thanked for it. It's good that they get recognition and see there is a point to what they do. It's not just about [patients] getting a pair of glasses.'
But Stockdale also had a wider aim in mind. 'I spent 12 years in high street practice and know that domiciliary eye care is not highly regarded within the profession. The awards are one way of raising the profile of our work,' he observes. Many independently owned practices and multiples in the region now refer patients to Optomise for home visits and the awards entry included a testimonial from a local practice alongside those from care homes and patients' families.
For Stockdale, winning the 'Healthy Sight' award has reflected well on the company and on other domiciliary eye care providers, as well as showing that care home staff are doing great work. A further benefit of the company's raised profile has been the opportunity to educate other professionals about eye problems affecting the elderly and the importance of regular eye examinations.
Since winning the award in April, Optomise has forged new links with care organisations and regularly supplies information and articles for newsletters, to put new developments in eye care that are reported in the press in perspective. This year, the company has focused on targeting the large numbers of people who are housebound and unaware that they could have eye examinations in their own homes. In Northern Ireland, the NHS estimates there may be more than 20,000 eye tests that are not being carried out for elderly housebound people, says Optomise.
Among the new projects currently under way is a home record for housebound patients that will provide tips for looking after their eyes, and also inform patients and their families about aspects of their eye condition. These records are already used in residential care settings for handing on information about the patient to staff and other professionals. Stockdale says that this type of initiative could easily apply to all patients. 'The British public are very poorly informed about eye care and this is just one way of educating them on the importance of healthy sight.'