Vision care for housebound..

**jamz** · 08-25-2006, 08:00 PM

Hi,

My wife is disabled (Agoraphobia). She can leave the house and go maybe a 1/4 of a mile radius. Lucky that we live in a plan with a shopping plaza down the street. Unfortunately there are no Optometrists with in her "safe zone". So she has been wearing glasses with the same prescription for abt 10-15 years. I would take her glasses in and have the lens read when she needed new glasses. I know in the UK, home visits are popular in the medical field.

I cant seem to find anyone who will come to the home for an exam. Does anyone know of any organization etc..that might have Optometrists that do house calls? I'm pretty sure that in Optometry school the students carried around what looked like goggles with interchangable lenses or something along those lines..not sure what type of portable equip is available. Maybe thats the problem...I'm south of Pittsburgh, PA.

Any thoughts appreciated...

Thanks..

**Ory** · 08-25-2006, 09:08 PM

Most optometrists should be able to do house calls or remote exams. Very few do because it is cost prohibitive.

Try calling around to everyone in the area (although it sounds like you have) and be sure to explain why you want a house call. Perhaps look for someone fresh out of school...they may be eager and not too busy. If there is a school of optometry nearby you may want to talk to them and see if they have an external program.

Don't be surprised if you are asked to pay double the typical rate for an exam. Doing an exam without all the typical equipment will take longer and there is transportation time to consider.

**Jubilee** · 08-26-2006, 12:32 AM

Another good resource is to contact the local Lion's Club. Since they are a charitable orgainization that will have ODs and MDs do exams outside of their office, they may have a list of doctors who regularly provide similar services.

Cassandra

**Diane** · 08-26-2006, 11:26 AM

We used to do it all the time. Particularly for families who were our patients, already. Never charged any more for the service. Not even gas. Check with your own doctor and staff and see what they can do for you. (Sold my practice a few years ago.)

Diane

**PAkev** · 08-27-2006, 09:05 AM

We do house calls for eyewear on a routine basis but the bulk of our out of the office service is nursing homes. In this environment docs can at least see muliple patients. A few years ago many docs would have probably made time to service the unique needs of their patients with a housecall here and there. However, in the day when many practices are a puppet on the hands of managed vision care, two hours away from the office can be very costly for them.

If you send me a private e mail I can connect you with the Opticians Assn. of PA. Pittsburgh chapter president which may be able to point you in the right direction.