The Dementia Services Develpoment Centre of the University of Stirling is a world leader in the field of dementia. Back in 2008 they asked optomise to write an introduction for their newsletter, Dementia Now. The idea behind this piece was to spark academic debate which it was hoped would lead to a call for research. Anecdotally there is a strong link between vision and dementia but we need to see proper research undertaken so that people living with dementia around the world can receive the level of eye care they deserve.
Read more: University of Stirling Dementia Services Development Centre
From time to time we still get asked why we do what we do. Why test the 80-year-old lady with dementia? Why bother with the wee man who has no interest in TV or reading, sure what’s the point in testing their eyes.
It is currently estimated that 1 in 3 people with special needs have a vision problem but unfortunately most have never had an eye examination. Poor vision can have a detrimental affect on quality of life, independence, education and development but it has been shown that optimising vision can have a positive affect on all of these areas.
What’s the point? She’s confused. Don’t bother giving her glasses. She doesn’t watch TV and she doesn’t read. We hear this all the time when we are examining people with dementia. We could spend all day long telling you what the point is and we could spend all week telling you why we bother.
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"My husband has just moved into a Care Home and we are both finding it a little difficult to adjust. Thank you for coming out to test his eyes, his new glasses are marvelous, they have given him a new lease of life". Mrs V.M. Bangor
