Access to eyecare
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Healthwatch Dudley undertook engagement on eye care with people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, people with learning disabilities or their carers and people with dementia or their carers. They spoke to 75 people.
Key messages
- Make information and advice on eyecare easy to access and understand
- Get the message out on the need for regular eye checks
- Provide clear explanations on services, entitlements and procedures.
- Clearly explain what is happening before and during the eye test
- Ensure people feel comfortable about asking questions
- Provide adequate time for consultations and conversations on eye health and care
- Be innovative and use technology where appropriate to improve communications on appointments, reminders and providing advice
- Ensure all areas are large enough to meet the needs of people who need to be accompanied or use special equipment
- Design and decorate premises in ways that help to ensure people are comfortable and safe
- Be innovative and use technology where appropriate to improve communications and information giving in waiting areas
- Consider providing access to toilet, drinks and other facilities that might help to make people more comfortable
- Explore the opportunities for people to see the same optician
- Ensure staff introduce themselves – ‘hello my name is …’
- Routinely and regularly ask questions about health and medications
- Be friendly, approachable and respectful
- Ask people how they feel and whether anything could be improved
- Avoid using jargon or overly technical language
- Invest in training on working with black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with learning disabilities or dementia
- Spend more time on the eye test if necessary
- Pay attention to providing explanations and reassurance
- Adapt the test where this is helpful
- Provide clear and easily understandable information on the outcomes of the test
- Expand outreach activity to increase the numbers of at risk or vulnerable people accessing eyecare services
- Ensure people know about domiciliary eyecare services