Domiciliary eye care: dealing with a bedbound patient

OT has published a series of four video skills guides focused on providing domiciliary eye care. These guides aim to demystify and educate viewers about key aspects of domiciliary eye care, from the kit you require in order to perform sight tests, to communication tips, adapting for bedbound patients, and the legal requirements of this mode of practice.

In this skills guide video, domiciliary optometrist at the OutsideClinic, Aaron Uraon, discusses how to adapt your eye care routine for a bedbound patient.

Through this guide, Uraon shares advice on entering a bedbound patient’s home and room, adapting and adjusting your surroundings so they are suitable for testing, and setting up the test chart. He also shares tips on working with the patient to ensure accurate readings for tests.

Aaron’s tips for preparing to test

• Shout into the room so the bedbound patient is aware you are there, and ask for consent to enter
• Introduce yourself to the patient
• Clear the bed space so you have room to manoeuvre around
• Adapt the lighting.

OT would like to thank OutsideClinic for supporting the making of these videos, as well as the University of the West of England Bristol for allowing us to film in its facilities.