Optimal care

The older they get, the more likely people are to have a visual impairment. The precise number of sufferers isn’t known. Ophthalmologist Sandrine Zweifel plans to change this by running a study that will create the basis for providing optimal care for those affected.

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Margot Steiner*, who lives in a retirement home, has just had a visit from her eye specialist. She’s very glad, as her age-related macular degeneration means she needs regular check-ups from an ophthalmologist. Because of this eye condition and the fact that she also has a mobility handicap, walking into town would be tiring and only possible if she had someone to go with her. 

Margot is fortunate. It’s not usual for ophthalmologists to make home visits. Studies show that residents of senior residential centers are particularly likely not to receive the necessary ophthalmic treatment. “We don’t know how many elderly people in Switzerland suffer from visual impairments, or what quality of ophthalmologic care they’re getting,” says Sandrine Zweifel, Chief of Service and Deputy Director of the University Hospital Zurich Department of Ophthalmology.

Serious consequences

According to estimates, one in three people over 80 has a visual impairment. This can have serious consequences if untreated. Those affected may avoid social contact, for example, and are at greater risk of depression and related problems. Since many eye problems can be treated, good ophthalmic care is very important. If no medical therapy is available, rehabilitative measures can help people learn to cope with their new situation and maintain their quality of life.

Ideally this should all also be accessible to people who previously fell through gaps in the healthcare safety net. This has prompted Sandrine Zweifel to run the first study of its kind to find out the extent to which elderly people living in institutions or receiving home care are affected by visual impairments. To do this the team plans to examine the eyes of around 400 senior citizens.

Things looking good in old age

The insights gained in the course of the project will feed directly into preventive efforts and lay the foundation for defining good provision for care-dependent elderly people with visual impairment. The goal is to identify and treat eye disease as early as possible and enhance the quality of life of those affected. In other words, to keep things looking good in old age for more people like Margot Steiner.

*anonymized

100% financed

Bayer (Switzerland)
MBF Foundation
ACCENTUS Foundation