Home Care: It’s time for your dad to get his eyes tested again.
He always gets nervous on eye exam days. It would be best if you prepared him for everything that occurs during an appointment. Here’s a handy checklist of what he and his home care aides should be aware will happen and what they can do to ease his appointment anxiety.
Fill Our His Medical Information Online
His eye doctor needs his basic medical history. Fill that out online, if possible, or arrive early to fill it out before his appointment. Make sure he has his insurance card and contact information for his doctor, as that will be covered on the form.
Walk Him Through the Stages of the Exam
When your dad goes in, he may start his appointment with a nurse. The nurse takes your dad’s blood pressure and sits him in front of the tests to check for blind spots in his peripheral vision, his eye fluid pressure, and the curvature of the cornea. Once these tests are completed, he will see the eye doctor.
During the doctor’s exam, the eyes are checked for signs of common eye conditions like cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. This is done after medicinal drops dilate the pupils. He’s also to look at images through different lenses to pinpoint the clearer picture and get his corrective prescription.
After he finishes with the doctor, he will work with an optical professional to order glasses if he wants them. Otherwise, he’ll want his pupillary distance measurement to use when he orders his eyeglasses online.
Be Prepared for the Pupil Dilation
Your dad’s eyes will be dilated during this exam. The eye drops that cause the pupils to dilate last for several hours. When he’s outside in the sun, he wants to have sunglasses to protect his eyes.
He also may not want to drive while his pupils are dilated. His vision will be blurry, and it can make it hard for him to focus on things in front of him. If you can’t take the day off, consider having a paid caregiver drive him to and from his eye appointment.
What if your dad is diagnosed with a common eye condition like glaucoma or cataracts? Talk to his eye doctor about driving. Should he drive, or is it time to give up his keys? Can he only drive in certain conditions or times of the day?
When he shouldn’t drive, transportation becomes a concern. You, your brothers, and your sisters can’t take time off work to drive him around. He is always on the go and doesn’t want to wait for weekends to arrive. Home care is the perfect solution to this situation.
With home care aides spending time with your dad, he has someone to take him shopping. His caregiver can take him on scenic drives or bring him to his friends’ houses. Talk to a home care specialist and learn more about prices and services for your dad.