Eye examinations for residents living with dementia require a different approach. Traditional clinic-based optometry assumes a patient can sit still for 30 minutes, follow verbal instructions, accurately report what they see, and choose between two slightly different lenses on demand. For many aged care residents with dementia or significant cognitive impairment, none of those assumptions hold.
Eye See You Optometry has built our service specifically for this reality. We bring portable diagnostic equipment to the resident in their familiar environment, work to the resident's pace, and use objective testing methods — retinoscopy, autorefraction, digital imaging, and tonometry — that produce a complete clinical picture without requiring complex verbal cooperation.
Care staff who already know the resident are present during the examination. Where helpful, family members or Power of Attorney representatives can attend or be briefed by phone. Our optometrists are AHPRA-registered with extensive experience in dementia care environments.
Vision changes are common in dementia and frequently go undetected. Cataracts, refractive changes, and macular degeneration can mimic or amplify cognitive symptoms — a resident who appears more confused or withdrawn may simply be unable to see well enough to engage with their environment.
Research published in international ophthalmology journals shows that treating correctable vision problems in residents with dementia reduces falls, improves engagement with daily activities, and slows the rate of perceived cognitive decline. Cataract surgery in particular has been associated with measurable improvements in cognition for older adults with mild to moderate dementia.
Despite this, dementia is one of the most common reasons aged care residents miss out on eye care. Transport to a clinic is distressing, waiting rooms are disorienting, and standard optometry techniques are difficult to apply. Mobile, dementia-aware optometry solves every link in that chain.
Every examination is conducted in the resident's own facility — usually in a quiet room they recognise, with care staff they trust nearby.
Retinoscopy, autorefraction, digital retinal imaging, and tonometry produce accurate prescriptions and disease screening without needing the resident to verbally choose between lenses.
We allocate additional time for residents with dementia. There is no waiting room pressure, no fixed examination duration.
We actively look for the treatable causes of vision loss that compound dementia symptoms — cataracts, refractive errors, and macular conditions.
Findings are documented in clear written reports for nominated Power of Attorney representatives, with phone briefings available for significant findings.
All glasses are engraved with the resident's name to prevent loss. We keep prescription records on file so replacements can be ordered without re-examination.
Specialist mobile optometry built around the realities of residential aged care.
Examinations conducted in the resident's familiar room or a quiet area of the facility, never a sterile clinical space
Care staff present throughout, providing reassurance and clinical context
Objective measurements (retinoscopy, autorefraction) instead of relying on 'better one or better two' verbal responses
Time pressure removed — examinations stop and resume as the resident's tolerance allows
Bedside examinations available for residents who cannot easily move
Clear written reports with non-technical language for families and POA representatives