A new initiative to improve the eye care of residents in care homes has been launched by the Thomas Pocklington Trust to coincide with National Eye Health Week.
Information on sight loss and eye care will be presented at the National Care Homes Congress in Birmingham (June 22) and circulated to 18,000 residential homes across the country.
Sarah Buchanan, research and development manager at the Trust, said with the right tools and the right knowledge care staff can play a major role in protecting people's sight. 'Too often the vital care that could prevent sight loss or improve people's vision can be overlooked in care homes.'
Key pointers include taking care of spectacles, encouraging eye examinations, looking for signs of sight loss, talking about sight loss and provision of good lighting. These key tips will be distributed in a sight loss bulletin by My Home Life, an organisation which works to improve the lives of those in care homes.
Research by the Trust has shown that sight loss is more common in older people living in care homes than among those living in the community. In turn this sight loss increases the chance of depression, falls, immobility and general poor health. Despite this, people in care homes often miss out on basic eye care. This initiative is designed to target staff working in care homes and highlight the role they can play.