Charles Bonnet Syndrome awareness day announced

National charity, Esme’s Umbrella, will launch its first Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) awareness day on 16 November.

The new annual event is designed to raise awareness of the condition by highlighting its symptoms to increase diagnosis rates and support.

It will also bring together the charity’s supporters, vision experts, members of the public and those living with CBS to complete a range of activities on the day.

An official launch will take place at the House of Commons led by Esme’s Umbrella founder, Judith Potts.

“Our challenge is to ensure that those with the condition are diagnosed quickly and that they are not misdiagnosed,” Ms Potts said.

“Unfortunately, due to the nature of the condition and a lack of healthcare professional awareness, patients are often diagnosed with dementia or other mental health conditions,” she explained. 

“This of course makes life even more distressing for the person experiencing CBS and it means that they often do not get the support they need,” Ms Potts added.

CBS can occur when sight has been lost by 60% or more. It produces hallucinations, which can leave the person experiencing the symptoms unable to distinguish between what is real and what is not. 

Read OT’s CET-accredited article, Disorders of perception, by Dr Matt Dunn. Esme’s Umbrella provides support to those living with CBS with information services and a helpline.