Patients with reduced vision can be referred to the Low Vision Clinic and Eye Clinic Liaison Officer (ECLO) via Evolutio for support and assessment. The service welcomes referrals made by Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians.
Eye Clinic Liaison Officers (ECLOs) are essential in providing patients, their families and careers with practical and emotional support and to help patients understand their diagnosis. They can help patients not only adapt to living with sight loss but also to ensure they do not become isolated and also retain their independence. ECLOs provide a vital role in bridging the gap between health and community services. They can provide timely support on issues such as falls prevention, job retention, education and social care and rehabilitation.
If a patient requires a Low Vision Aid they would usually benefit from an ECLO assessment.
If a new patient requires completion of a Certificate of Visual Impairment (CVI) to be registered as sight impaired/severely sight impaired it must state on the referral that an Ophthalmologist review is needed. Registration cannot be completed if the patient has not been seen by the Ophthalmologist.
If a patient does not meet the requirement for CVI registration but is still having difficulty with their vision they may still be referred to the clinic and access all the services on offer.
The National Falls Prevention Coordination Group, (hosted by National Healthcare Public Health in NHSEI) has developed a suite of new resources to help reduce the incidence of falls related to vision-impairment in older people. The aim is to promote the importance of good eye health and vision with Healthcare professionals and increase the uptake of eye examinations by the public. The resources include a ‘how to’ video to support the use of the Royal College of Physicians Bedside Vision tool for hospital inpatients and the care sector, posters for waiting areas and letters/ information sheets for healthcare professionals, and guidance from the College of Optometrists on The importance of vision in preventing falls.
Posters for Opticians and other Healthcare professionals:
https://edshare.gcu.ac.uk/9943/
This poster can be printed and placed in a waiting area to raise awareness about falls prevention in older clients. It directs people to talk to the eye care professional if they have had a fall, so that vision can be assessed in light of this (with particular reference to contrast sensitivity, depth perception, visual field, cataracts and visual acuity) and a discussion about how local falls services may be able to help with other risk factors and offer potential solutions
Letter for Healthcare professionals and Optometrists / Eye care professionals:
https://edshare.gcu.ac.uk/9944/
A brief letter for Healthcare professionals and Opticians from the NFPCG detailing two simple things they can do to support customers or patients with visual impairment who might be at risk of a fall. It also covers the main areas of vision impairment that might lead to an increased risk and how to find the local falls services to direct customers or patients to if they want more support to reduce their risk of falls in the future.
The importance of vision in preventing falls (a report from the College of Optometrists 2020):
Other resources:
An instructional video (5 mins) to go with Bedside vision assessment tool. This tool is designed to screen near and distant vision at high and low contrast. It can be used by anybody, and particularly useful for use in community settings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIn3LQYqueg
https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/visible/
https://healthinnovationnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/VISIBLE_Final_amended_PROOF-3.pdf
For more information about the NFPCG, please read our 2021 Progress Report.