Longmeadow to host elder eye care clinicDate: 1/4/2011 LONGMEADOW — Low vision affects more than 6.5 million Americans age 65 and older.
If you have been told by an eye professional that you are visually impaired in a manner that can not be corrected with eye glasses or contact lenses but you still have usable vision; you have "low vision."
Do you struggle with reading food labels, reading and organizing medication, knife safety, phone skills, finding dropped objects, using appliances? If your answer is "yes", there are resources now locally available to make your life easier.
The Carroll Center for the Blind (CCB), a Boston-area institution, is now partnering with Greater Springfield Senior Services, an agency serving elders in Hampden County, to offer short-term in-home services to elders in this area with visual challenges.
On Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. at the Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Rd., the Longmeadow Board of Health and the Longmeadow Senior Center will be jointly hosting a presentation by Lisa St. Sauveur, occupational therapist and certified vision rehabilitation therapist from the Carroll Center.
St. Sauveur will discuss common vision conditions and the visual problems that these conditions pose. She will also provide brief instruction in adaptive techniques to make tasks easier, including the use of adaptive devices. Information will also be available on how individuals age 60 and over can access free in-home assessment by a vision rehabilitation therapist from the Carroll Center.
This event is free and open to individuals who are visually impaired and their caregivers.
Registration is required by Jan. 12; to pre-register call the Longmeadow town nurse at 565-4154. This event is open to non-residents on a space available basis.
This program is part of an on-going series of free monthly "Living Well Chat Group" programs. These programs, open to residents of all ages, address personal and public health issues.
The town nurse, welcomes your suggestions for future programs.
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