SCOTLAND · NORTHERN IRELAND · NORTH EAST · NORTH WEST · SURREY · MIDLANDS · YORKHIRE

'Providing Quality On Site Eye Care Throughout the UK'

Vision Call (UK) Ltd is the leading provider of domiciliary eye care throughout the United Kingdom. We have branches throughout the country where we can supply the highest level of eye care to patients unable to access their local optometrist.

We supply eye care to all types of patients - some of our clientele include:

• Individual home visits.
• Care homes for the elderly.
• Care homes for patients with learning disabilities.
• Sheltered housing complexes.
• Day care units.
• Resource centres.
• Hostels for homeless.
• Corporate onsite VDU/Safety testing.

Vision Call was established in 1994 to provide quality eye care to patients who are unable to access their local high street practice. We believe in investing in the latest in portable eye testing technology to ensure that our patient’s receive the highest level of care within the domiciliary setting.

Different patients, like all areas of optometry, have different demands and requirements. We have specialist equipment, which helps assess patients who are unable to communicate to us the subjective responses, which are normally expected in an eye examination. All our staff are specially trained in the care of patients in these ‘at risk’ groups.

Why Choose Vision-Call?

We offer a comprehensive eye care service for patients who will greatly benefit from this and improve their quality of life, this includes:

• Free full eye examination to all patients.
• Latest digital portable testing equipment.
• 120 Quality frames, including flexi frames all free to NHS patients.
• Reports to patients/carers to explain eye condition and test results.
• Low Vision assessment for patients who require this and advice.
• Comprehensive training system to explain visual impairments to care staff so the appropriate care can be directed to supply the highest quality of life to the individual.
• Aftercare system allowing follow up visits for spectacle adjustments, repairs and replacements as required.
• Computerised engraving of the patients’ name on their frame, which prevents the confusion of different patients’ glasses. Frame marked with name and purpose they are required for e.g. Reading.
• Continuity of care - with such a large support network whenever a patient moves residence we can ensure that the eye care can be picked up in their new residence and continued.

At all points the Optometrist who has examined the patients eyes can be contacted because we only have employed staff in our company - no locums. This ensures that patients have continuity of care.

Eye Examinations

Most people ask - How can you test this patient? This is because in many cases the patient can either not communicate due one of many reasons i.e. dysphasia or because of their confusion level.

The Optometrist is a highly skilled individual in eye care who skills throughout the health profession are under utilised. The patient is assessed on many levels but at all time the more information that we receive in history from either the patient or carer is of benefit. But in absence of this state of the art digital equipment is used along with expert clinical judgement. This comes in the form of:

• Digital Auto refractor to attain an approximate prescription with or without patient communication.
• Digital tonopen – to check the eye pressures and assess the patient for glaucoma.
• Dilation of patients eyes - primary reason for pathology assessment or diabetic screening.
• Subjective response refraction where possible.
• Objective refraction using a Retinoscope.
• Pathology assessment using an Ophthalmosope.

Another point that comes up on a regular basis is - this patient does not need testing! This is usually said for a number of reasons either the staff say the patient is confused to the point where they don’t use glasses or the patient does not wear glasses. These are very naïve points - all patients will benefit from an eye examination. The most important reason for anyone having their eyes tested is the detection of any eye diseases or abnormalities. If they have an eye condition the earliest detection of this can result in the greatest benefit to the patient and as the patient does not want to lose their sight at any cost we should endeavour to do all we can to preserve this for them.

Dementia patients may not be able to communicate problems to their carer, if a dementia patient cannot see:

• They are a danger to themselves and those around them.
• They can make difficult care as they are unable to eat, dress or walk by themselves.
• Increased risk of falls and injuries.
• An increased separation from the world due to inadequate vision which may lead to an increased level of dementia.

It is frequently perceived that a patient won’t tolerate spectacles. This is down to the professional staff and care staff to ensure that a patient adapts to the correction. In many cases the reason why the patient stops or does not wear their glasses is because they have taken them off and forgotten that they have glasses. The care staff may not encourage the wearing of the glasses.

At Vision Call we can help this by:

• Providing extensive staff training programs to train care staff – this informs staff of the importance of eye care in all different types of patient. It also goes through what visual impairments to expect with specific patients and how this can be overcome and helped.
• Supplying of posters (Informing the staff that the patient should wear glasses) and the supply of spec cords/sports bands to encourage patient to wear their glasses

The most important portion is continuous eye care even after the dispensing of glasses. The patient may require further advice or simple adjustment of glasses. We encourage the use of our comprehensive aftercare service to all patients to ensure continuity of care between regular eye examinations.

Local Contact offices:

These local offices provide services for very large areas. So for any requirements please contact them and they will arrange an appointment for your patients or answer any questions you may have.

• Scotland : 0141 643 3840
• North West : 0161 339 7444
• North East : 0191 414 4345
• Midlands : 0121 708 1349
• Yorkshire : 01302 738 800
• Southern : 01483 722 333
• Northern Ireland : 0283 834 1700

I would like to end by encouraging you to put a great deal of thought into eye care. At no point would you like to lose your eyesight, therefore we should do all we can to ensure that patients who require a domiciliary service are given access to a first class and quality service which is what we aim to provide.

National Head Office:
Vision Call (UK) Ltd
Unit 1
25 Westburn Drive,
Glasgow G72 7NA

headoffice@vision-call.co.uk
www.vision-call.co.uk

 

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