Has anybody found a solution for eye exams? We struggle with my brother being able to answer the questions which one looks better and I don’t know if it’s the doctor I need to switch or if he’s going to need pictures instead of numbers. Day-to-day he has a hard time with decisions. For example, if we were to go to a restaurant he as expected struggles to pick out something on the menu so it’s best just to make the decisions for him. With eye exams obviously he has to provide input.
If one is having difficult eye issues or is unable to understand the directions of the Doctor, an Ophthalmologist is the best choice. An Ophthalmologist would have Autorefractor which is a machine that automatically determine the correct lens prescription for your eyes.
An eye test on a Autorefractor consist of just looking into the machine, one eye at a time, and try to sit still for a minute while the machine does its job. The Ophthalmologist would normally also do the "which is better, A or B" and compare that with what the Autorefractor had shown.
He doesn’t hesitate to return to his eye doctor for them to check the correct diagnosis.
Another thing that he has discovered is that the people who make the glasses do measurements and if they are slightly off it makes a difference.
They make a mark to indicate how the progressive lenses are made. Occasionally this measurement is not where it should be for optimal viewing.
The optician told my husband that she only sees people who are engineers and airline pilots come back to have their glasses remade.
Most people will not feel like the slight difference is noticeable. Others like my husband will notice the difference.
My mom had Parkinson’s disease and it affected her eyesight. She couldn’t see well with her glasses.
I can see how it would be difficult to get a proper diagnosis for a patient with dementia. I’m sorry that you are going through this, it is a frustrating situation.
Cataract surgery is a snap! It’s so quick and virtually painless.
For many people, that first check is all they do. If the patient is unable to make the 'better/worse' choices, then an exam for glasses is kind of pointless. The eye exam is for both the health of the eyes, but also for changing prescriptions. You could get by with the first check and not even attempt to do a more involved vision check and just have the 'eye health' done. (looking for glaucoma, cataracts and Macular degeneration, among other things.
My BIL is my optometrist and he does fine tune things for me, but I am able to sit still and make decisions and give answers.
Talk to the dr and see if the first step exam would be sufficient. Then a quick check for the overall eye health and your LO would probably be fine.
You may want to look into facility care for your brother. Dementia is 24/7 care. He could wake up one morning and be worse than the day before. The nurses I worked for called it an episode. I saw it happen with one of our clients.
Your profile photo is so sweet!