National Eye Health Week's theme of sight after sixty has is being backed up by an initiative from the Thomas Pocklington Trust to offer free sight training.
Local sight loss societies can benefit from training which will enable them to offer sight loss awareness workshops to care homes in their area. The Trust says the scheme will help bring communities closer together by enabling care homes to improve the way they deal with sight loss and help create better communications between care homes and the agencies that support the visually impaired.
Pamela Lacy, research and dissemination manager at TPT says the scheme should help care home staff and residents. 'Our research shows that in busy care homes, staff can easily overlook sight loss and the need to support residents to have their eyes tested, to wear the correct glasses, and to make the most of their sight in everyday activities.' She says the workshop training being offered to sight loss societies will enable them to offer workshops which will train care home staff to do that. 'Giving care home staff a better understanding of sight loss could help prevent falls and lead to improvements in residents' health and well being.'
Around half of care home residents have sight loss, the TPT says the Looking Out For Sight workshop can help improve their quality of life. members of sight loss societies can attend the free, one-day workshops at planned events around the country:
Birmingham, October 16
London, November 6
Bristol, November 20
Preston, November 27
