National Eye Health Week in focus

Good eye health and the need for regular eye tests is vital, especially as you age. National Eye Health Week takes place from 20 to 26 September to remind and reinforce the need to stay eye healthy.

At Birchwood House we have a local, family-run business called Eye Concern that visits our care home in Speldhurst, Kent, to carry out regular eye tests. Based in Southborough, the company is contracted by the NHS to provide eye tests at home or wherever it is convenient for those patients for whom getting to a high street optician might prove difficult.

Sean Godley from Eye Concern explains: “We visit a wide range of patients from the elderly to the young, from those suffering from dementia to those with severe physical disabilities.  As part of this we have undertaken specialised training to enable us to understand the nature and demands of a wide variety of conditions.

“We very much bring the service to the patient and our equipment is very compact and portable and can be set up in the smallest of spaces.”

All tests are conducted by qualified Optometrists who have a considerable amount of high street and domiciliary practice behind them, leading to a high standard of clinical care. 

After every eye test Eye Concern always contact the resident’s family or their representative to discuss our result and provide them with the options available.

Birchwood House Deputy Manager Claire Tye added: “We work closely with Eye Concern to ensure that all our residents are offered regular eye tests and suitable glasses so they can join in with all the activities.”

You can find out more about National Eye Health Week here:
http://www.visionmatters.org.uk/. 

You can contact Eye Concern on 01892 517312.

Click here to read our post on how to look after the elderly during the summer months.