General

CommunicationProfessional Conduct

No CPD Points 

 

The management of patients suffering from dementia is an area where there is often considerable uncertainty among optometric practitioners. There can be significant difficulties with communication and with carrying out subjective vision assessments, as well as unfamiliar spectacle prescribing and dispensing issues.

This docu-drama programme covers these key areas:

  • Dementia, the condition
  • Visual deficits related to dementia
  • Examining a patient with dementia
  • Prescribing and referral
  • Dispensing

 This programme combines interlinking fictional and factual sections including:

  • Reflective pieces that give an insight into how people experience dementia and its effects on their daily lives. These include recreations of the patient's eye view and experiences of different visual disturbances (eg. visual hallucinations), to help with understanding the profound impact of dementia.
  • Dramatised segments following the experiences of Alison, a woman in her 70s with dementia caused by Alzheimer's.
  • Expert opinion and commentary provided by Thurka Sivapalan MCOptom, an optometrist with specialist expertise in the area of dementia.
  • Real life case studies: compelling interviews with real patients and their carers, who talk about their experiences of living with dementia specifically around the issues of vision, sight loss and using optometric services.

Last updated: October 2020*

    Unit 1 - See More Part 1 (~10 mins)►

    Learning objectives

    Learning objectives

    • 1.2.2 To improve communication when examining and explaining your findings to a patient suffering from dementia.

    • 1.2.5 To understand the importance of effective communication with relatives and carers of a patient with dementia.

    • 2.10.1 To understand the importance of working with the dementia patients' GP and/or carer to ensure the highest possible level of care.

    • 6.1.14 To understand different visual disturbances and hallucinations that may affect patients suffering with dementia.

    • 7.1.6 To improve the understanding of how to adapt the examination techniques when testing a patient suffering from dementia.
      Unit 1 - See More Part 1 (~10 mins)►