A 93-year-old man’s vision was saved thanks to prompt treatment for shingles that had spread to his eye.
John McCartney contracted shingles in February, which caused his eye to swell. If shingles in the eye is left untreated, it can lead to permanent sight loss.
However, John wasn’t well enough to leave his sheltered housing complex in East Kilbride, therefore his daughter, Christine Carson, contacted Specsavers to arrange a home visit.
Christine told Lanarkshire Live: “My dad had shingles on his face, which caused his eye to swell.
“I spoke with his GP who advised I should arrange for him to be seen by an optician. I usually take my dad to his eye examinations but he just wasn’t well enough to leave his home.
“When searching for an optometrist who could visit his home, I discovered Specsavers’ home visits service.
“A Specsavers’ optometrist was able to see my dad the very next day and liaised with the ophthalmic team at University Hospital Hairmyres and my dad’s GP to make sure he received the right prescriptions to treat his eye.
“The optometrist, Daniel, was so great with my dad and kept me updated at every stage of the process. He also kept in touch to make sure my dad was on the mend and came back out to see him.
“Both my dad and I were really pleased with the service and I intend on continuing to use it as it’s very convenient for my dad. Daniel really helped to alleviate the stress of co-ordinating my dad’s care while he had shingles.”
And optometrist, Daniel Hunter who visited John urged people to make use of Specsavers home visits, he added: “Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. If located on the face, it can spread to the eye and can be sight-threatening if left untreated.
“Luckily, Mr McCartney’s daughter acted quickly and we were able to treat his eye with prescribed eye drops.
“Not everyone can make it to their local opticians, therefore our home visits service is a great option for anyone who is housebound or too unwell to make the journey. It is vital that these people are still able to access eyecare, so we conduct our comprehensive eye examinations from the comfort of their own homes.”
To find out more about Specsavers’ home visits service, visit: www.specsavers.co.uk/home-eye-tests.
