Opticians: Why specialize in Low Vision?

There was a time when the optician was seen more as a salesman of glasses rather than a health professional . This is less the case today. The contribution and advice of opticians clearly make it possible to direct patients to the best choice for their health. A specialty reinforces this opinion: low vision . We give you in this article some arguments in favor of this specialization.

Low vision as a public health mission

The Optic 2000 group organized its 10th low-vision conference last January. It was the occasion to mention an activity which gives pride of place to technical knowledge of course, but also to great human values. While the optician's commitment to his public health mission does not need to be demonstrated, this specialization offers him the possibility of opening up to another field.

In France , low vision mainly affects the elderly (approximately 2 million cases), although there are nearly 12,000 children who suffer from it. It is especially the management that will prove to be different.

First of all, the tools made available to those affected will be more technological in nature and therefore easier to learn by young people. The perception of low vision is also quite different between a young person who has life ahead of him and an elderly person who will have the impression to undergo a full force degeneration.

[= ] This approach work is completely part of the mission that the optician specializing in low vision has given himself. But do not think that it will be more obvious to treat a child than an adult. Because it will be necessary for him to show pedagogy with the parents first, then with the child, to help him to tame this difficulty and all the tools at his disposal.

An area that requires opticians to adapt

Specializing in low vision requires two other fundamentals: establishing a long-term plan with your patient, and being able to work with a team of professionals who do not, ordinary, part of his field and his contacts.

This is how an optician may have to converse with a psychomotor therapist, a pediatrician, a psychologist, a nurse, a tutor and many other parties.

A long-term follow-up plan will be the guarantee of precise and personalized support, further strengthening this quality of service, without this being the result of an all-commercial desire .

To dare to specialize in low vision, it is as much to offer a particular service to its patients, as to allow to develop humanly, or to learn and evolve thanks to the contribution from other professionals, whether they come from the health field or not. It is therefore a specialty that is neither lacking in strengths nor in demand. It is up to you to extend the network.

Source: Essentiel de l'Optique