Provision of Low Vision Appliances in the Community

The prevalence of visual impairment is increasing as our life expectancy increases. Low vision service provision has been shown to be valuable in helping those with visual impairment to maintain their daily living skills and enhance their mental well-being. This is a report of the first 18 months of a community-based low vision service based in outer London, open to those unable to obtain satisfactory vision with normal spectacles. It used 5 optometrists trained in low vision work, in co-operation with social services and the voluntary sector. 130 people were examined, mainly in their 70s and 80s. The most frequently dispensed aids were hand magnifiers, enabling over 25 % of clients to read N5 and 82 % to read N 12. The service cost under £70 per person. The present hospital low vision services are overstretched, and community-based services are a viable additional service. However, funding is a problem. Background &dquo;Vision has been identified as an area with good potential for significant health gain, particularly in terms of enabling older people with untreatable eye disorders to optimise their residual vision, thus improving quality of life.&dquo; (NHS Executive, 1994) The true prevalence of visual impairment in Great Britain is difficult to gauge both because of differences in definition of a visual problem and under-reporting. The 1991 RNIB survey suggested a prevalence of registrable visual impairment in adults of 1.8% (Bruce, 1991). However, the OPCS survey, where people judged their subjective visual impairment, estimated a prevalence of 3.2 % (Martin, McKennell & Walker, 1988). A study undertaken at Moorfields suggests one reason for the low registration rate is that some causes of visual impairment, such as cataract, are reversible, therefore some people are listed for surgery rather than registered partiall