Vision Care Access and Quality of Life in Nursing Homes

Access to eye care for seniors in nursing homes is a nationwide problem. In April 2005, there were a total of 16, 094 nursing homes in the United States. On an average day, nearly 4% of the US population (1.6 million Americans) is residing in a nursing home. In 2020, 12 million Americans will need long-term care. Historically, there have been 1.9 million beds and 84% occupancy in nursing homes nationwide. The provision of eye care services at these facilities varies from state to state. Most facilities do not have a plan for eye care services for their residents. They arrange for eye care services to be administered to residents suffering urgent or emergent eye problems, or those requested by the family or responsible guardian. The facility responsibility for eye care does not extend to preventative eye care. Defined eye care protocols exist for glaucoma and diabetes, but there are no nursing home protocols or guidelines for patients who suffer stroke, hypertension, or coronary artery disease - where there is risk for catastrophic vision loss.

It is evident, from nationwide data, that eye care should be established as a priority in nursing homes for every resident, and a protocol for patient identification – based on health care status – be derived that would provide the best and safest outcomes for the visual needs of the patient.