Drivers over age 65 are the fastest-growing segment of the driving population, and their eye care providers—ophthalmologists and optometrists—are playing an increasingly important role in assessing their ability to drive safely.
David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Kellogg researcher David C. Musch, Ph.D., M.P.H., recently led a multidisciplinary University of Michigan (U-M) study team, which was supported by a grant from M-CASTL, a unit of the U-M Transportation Research Institute, who surveyed how 500 vision care providers in Michigan assess the driving capabilities of their senior patients.
Dr. Musch and his team found that the majority of eye care providers feel it’s their responsibility to ask senior patients about driving, and most do it routinely. They test visual acuity and peripheral vision but often fail to ask about other factors—such as medical conditions or medications—that might affect the ability to drive. Inquiries about glare, driving at night and reading signs were very common (87 percent) but questions about challenging driving situations—merging or backing up—or the patient’s driving record were very infrequent (8 percent).
Many eye care providers (81 percent) stress that certain resources—driving assessment guidelines, clinical screening instruments and a patient self-evaluation tool—would help them in assessing the driving capabilities of their senior patients, and help to address higher accident rates for older drivers.
“We’ve identified a need and a desire on the part of vision care professionals to help,” says Dr. Musch, who cites research indicating that when seniors lose the ability to drive, there are consequences. These individuals have higher rates of depression and social isolation, more limited access to health care services, and are more likely to need long-term care. “Our goal is to intervene and work with our patients in modifying their driving habits. This will allow them to drive appropriately and maintain their independence,” he says.
While most eye care providers feel confident in their ability to determine whether vision is adequate for safe driving, few consider themselves the most-qualified professional to identify unsafe drivers. Only a small number of eye care providers (8 percent) communicate driving concerns with the patient’s primary care physician or refer patients to driving rehabilitation specialists or driving school. And, when asked about reporting unsafe drivers, some common concerns were negative impact on the doctor-patient relationship, liability issues, doctor-patient confidentiality and patient’s quality of life
Still, eye care providers are among the most important professionals in seniors’ health care, and they need to be on the lookout for seniors who may need special attention, says Dr. Musch. Identifying and providing effective resources to eye care providers to aid them in evaluating and assisting patients is the next step in the process, he adds.
The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight.
This holiday season, EyeCare America has launched a campaign called, “Do You See What I See?” The campaign aims to connect eligible seniors with sight-saving eye exams and eye health information. EyeCare America’s year-round program provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people age 65 and older and offers free educational materials. The eye exams will be provided by nearly 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the U.S. Those interested in the program can visit 
Established in 1985, EyeCare America, the public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, is committed to the preservation of sight, accomplishing its mission through public service and education. EyeCare America provides eye care services to medically underserved seniors and those at increased risk for eye disease through its corps of 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists dedicated to serving their communities. More than 90 percent of the care made available is provided at no out-of-pocket cost to the patients. Since its inception, EyeCare America has helped more than 1.5 million people. EyeCare America is a non-profit program whose success is made possible through charitable contributions from individuals, foundations and corporations. More information can be found at: 
Bausch & Lomb, the global eye health company, said it will work with Broadway, film and TV actress Florence Henderson in an integrated marketing campaign starting this fall for its Crystalens approved accommodating intraocular lens (IOL).
Fortifying bread and muffins with lutein may be a suitable vehicle to boost intakes of the compound, according to a new study from Spain.
bread, flat bread, cookies, and muffins were with high-lutein and lutein-fortified whole wheat flours. Processing and baking detrimentally affected the lutein and zeaxanthin content of the bakery products. For example, in the flat bread the all-trans lutein decreased by about 40 per cent, while the reduction in cookies was about 63 percent. The loss in muffins was similar, with about 58 percent of the trans-lutein lost.
The IMT is available in two models: one that provides 2.2 times magnification and another 2.7 times magnification. The IMT is designed to magnify and project images onto a healthy portion of the retina. The IMT is intended to be implanted in only one eye; the non-implanted eye is used for peripheral vision.
Caffeine may be effective in protecting the lens against damage that could lead to the formation of cataracts, according to a study presented on May 4 at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
Features are the facts or characteristics of a product and therefore equal the “logic” portion of the adage. Benefits are what the feature provides as a solution or answer to the question “so that you can ___.” Patients buy benefits because it solves their problems. 
For instance, it may be heard “This pair of glasses costs how much?” Discussing only the features of lenses, frames and treatments, and not about how it will solve their optical need, make them look better, more attractive, more accepted, the patient will opt out of what may be very beneficial to them and the right solution. However, if we link the features to benefits, a scenario is created that is much less likely rejected. “Wow” them by speaking in ways that help them visualize life with their new eyewear.
Presbyopia is defined as impairment of vision due to advancing years. This includes reduction in accommodative ability, reduction in contrast sensitivity, need for additional lighting, increased light scattering, and reduced ability to cope with glare. This all becomes clinically significant beginning after the age of 40, according to the Dictionary of Ophthalmic Optics. Even though all adults will suffer from presbyopia, solutions are readily available. Spectacle lenses utilized to correct this condition include single-vision readers, flat top bifocals and trifocals, progressive lenses and near variable focus lenses. A critical must for the dispenser to remember in dispensing to the senior patient is the working distance of the near addition. Simple lifestyle questions will help ascertain the visual needs and habits of the patient. A senior patient who is still in the work place will have different needs than someone who is already retired and contending with recreational pursuits. Even though the activities will differ, the solutions will be very similar. 
Another major concern or must for the senior patient is visible light. A 65 year old needs nearly six times the amount of visible light than an 18 year old. This presents a dilemma for adequate visual acuity. In a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration study, several conclusions were made in regards to seniors and driving and how light relates to these tasks. The NHTSA study concluded that aging directly reduces contrast sensitivity by about a factor of three; thus older drivers are at a relative disadvantage at lower luminance levels than younger drivers. It also found the glare level was greater by a factor of two when compared to a 70-year-old driver to that of a 20 year old. Assuming the effects of age and glare on contrast sensitivity are independent, older drivers is very much at a disadvantage in night driving situations in which glare is prevalent. However, these effects are certainly not limited to older drivers. The NHTSA study went on to report that between older drivers and their non-driver counterparts ex-drivers had more problems with glare from watching television, reading small print, reading an advertisement on a passing bus, seeing clearly at dusk, and rated their vision as less than satisfactory. This data clearly points to the need for glare control in the prescription. 
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
LinkedIn
Pinterest
GooglePlus
Tumblr
