OutsideClinic highlights need for greater awareness of domiciliary services

Domiciliary provider, OutsideClinic, has highlighted the issue of untreated sensory decline for National Eye Health Week (22–28 September).

A survey commissioned by OutsideClinic of 300 adults in Britain aged over 55 found that 37% report difficulties even with corrective lenses, with 40% sharing that this impacts independence in areas such as driving, reading, and their hobbies.

Of those surveyed, 41% acknowledged some level of hearing loss, with 54% of those affected reporting that they had not sought treatment.

OutsideClinic found that, of those surveyed, 79% of men and 53% of women felt their hearing was not “bad enough” to seek help, while cost, and the perception that sensory decline is “part of ageing” were also contributing factors.

The survey found that 41% of respondents were unaware that free at-home tests for vision and hearing are available for those over the age of 60.

Matthew Burford, optometrist and professional services manager at OutsideClinic, told OT: “The report confirms what we anecdotally feel out in the field – that an increasing number of people are having difficulties, but aren’t necessarily seeking to resolve those difficulties until it becomes more of an issue.”

The delays in seeking treatment were particularly evident when it came to hearing loss.

Burford noted: “You can turn a TV up and it will get louder. Sight is probably a little bit more at the forefront of people’s minds, because if you can’t see, you are more motivated to take actions to correct that with glasses.”

However, patients who do have a vision correction solution can still encounter difficulties, such as an out-of-date prescription.

The risks to the individual of waiting to seek help can go beyond vision and eye health.

Burford said: “It’s things like maintaining your independence, being able to see cooking instructions, and the risk of falls for patients – if they are hospitalised with hip fractures their mortality rate is significant.”

Social isolation, depression, and the risk of other health conditions are also potential concerns. Updated guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has recommended that people living with dementia receive a sight test shortly after diagnosis.

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NICE guidance recommends people with dementia have regular sight tests

The updated guidance encourages people living with dementia to have a sight test after diagnosis, and then every two years

Burford said: “That highlights the increasing knowledge that dual sensory less is linked to an increased prevalence of things like dementia and social isolation.

What are some of the reasons patients might be reluctant to book a sight or hearing test? In Burford’s experience, some patients don’t want to be seen as “bothering” their practitioners.

“Patients are leaving it later, until it becomes so much of an issue that it overcomes that stoicism in seeking help,” he said, adding: “But actually that is what we’re here to do – to provide that service.”

A lack of awareness of domiciliary services is a major barrier to patients accessing care.

Burford highlighted the need to raise awareness of both domiciliary services, and the opportunities for vision correction.

The findings of the survey confirmed what practitioners at OutsideClinic already suspected, and will now help the provider to consider how it raises awareness of domiciliary visits amongst the public, and continues to train colleagues to deliver services.

Raising awareness of domiciliary appointments is crucial for early detection and prevention, as well as for maintaining quality of life.

Burford suggested: “These are patients whose worlds rely on their own home; watching television and communicating through iPads and Zoom.”

He emphasised the importance of vision for connection amongst domiciliary patients: “Being able to see that person they are speaking to through the tablet, if they haven’t got friends nearby."

He added: “Anything we can do to give patients the best quality of life and protect their longer-term health.”