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Specsavers Healthcall

We provide full comprehensive eye tests at home for anyone unable to attend a high street Opticians unaccompanied due to any physical or mental dissability including NHS and private patients.

Updated:
8 September 2016
Location:
Yorkshire and Humber
Local Alliances:
Rotherham Dementia Action Alliance, Barnsley Dementia Action Alliance

1. Action Plan

1. The National Dementia Declaration lists seven outcomes that the DAA are seeking to achieve for people with dementia and their carers. How would you describe your organisation’s role in delivering better outcomes for people with dementia and their carers?

Providing a comprehensive eye test at home for someone with dementia allows family members and carers to have one less thing to worry about. Our professional clinical staff will organise everything from the appointment day and time to the actual eye examination using specialist equipment designed to be used in people’s homes to the delivery and fitting of any new spectacles required and any further aftercare appointments if required.   

 

 

2. What are the challenges to delivering these outcomes from the perspective of your organisation?

Good, accurate, effective means of communication between our professionals and the family members and or carers of someone with dementia is crucial but not always available and this can sometimes pose a challenge to provide the high standards of service that we would like.     

We will overcome challenges by, wherever means  possible, fully engaging with family members and carers to ensure all concerned are aware of the individual visual challenges facing the person they are caring for and what options there are to best help with those challenges.

  trying to achieve all our aims within our action plan.

 

 

    

 

2. Actions

  • Dementia Training

    Provide professional dementia training to a nominated dementia champion to cascade it throughout the business.

    Incorporate basic dementia training into mandatory staff training

    Encourage staff to watch dementia friends film at www.dementiafriends.org.uk, or attend a face to face dementia friends session

    Register the organisation on the dementia friends website to allow staff to access information and videos relating to dementia awareness.

    Status:
    Planning

  • Further Dementia awareness

    Encourage staff to watch short film ‘The Appointment’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnPUq00UA8c to aid understanding of dementia and the challenges people with dementia face within the community

    Status:
    Planning

  • Dementia Friendly Optcian Practices

    Offer home visits to patients with dementia who have a problem with mobility or become anxious in different environments

    Promote education of carers to recognise obvious signs of visual disturbance and the importance of regular eye testing

    Flag patient records to indicate when a patient has dementia, so as to provide the appropriate support

    Provide longer appointments to patients with dementia to allow them to settle

    Make use of a dementia specific testing chart which uses pictures rather than letters to make the consultation easier for the patient

    Make enquiry into the dementia patient’s mobility - recent changes such as loss of balance when walking may indicate a problem with sight

    Allow time for discussion with carer’s as to the patient’s normal behavior and any changes to behavior that may indicate sight problems

    Flag up patients who fail to respond to postal notifications of an eye test and make necessary arrangements to contact them directly

    Provide frequent reminders regarding appointments and notify patient’s with dementia when their eye test is due

    Status:
    Delivered

  • Dementia Friendly Physical Homes

    Ensure all staff have knowledge about changes in visual perception and the benefits in making a person’s home dementia friendly

    Have copies and links to AZ guide

    Status:
    Planning

  • Sign Posting

    Be aware of support services and have relevant information to cascade in the relevant area.

    Make referrals if and when appropriate

    Status:
    Planning

  • South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Partnership

    Become a partner with SYFR to refer people (with consent) for Safe and Well checks  - looking at trips and fall risks as well as Fire alarms

    Status:
    Planning

  • Dementia Friendly Aids

    Look at Dementia  friendly aids that may be available through SRSB and raise awareness when making visits

    Status:
    Being implemented
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