Becoming Visionary: Evaluation of a Comprehensive Eye Exam Clinic Within a Geriatric Rehabilitation Setting

Abstract

In the older adult population, visual impairments are highly prevalent, but largely undiagnosed. Research has shown that such visual impairments increase the risk of falls, depression, and mortality amongst older adults. Studies are lacking that examine the impact of implementing an eye exam clinic within a hospital setting. The goal of this proposed study was to evaluate the feasibility of having community optometrists offer a Comprehensive Eye Exam (CEE) Clinic for detecting vision loss within a geriatric rehabilitation setting. Findings revealed 83% of participants were diagnosed with detectable vision problem of which more than half were previously undiagnosed. One third of participants had not seen an eye specialist within the past two years. The CEE Clinic was implemented with minimal expenses, low workload burden on staff, and detected significant vision issues among many participants.