In-Service Dates Now Available

          Our office is now processing requests for in-service presentations for 2016.  We have dates available throughout the year for presentations in Northern and Southern California.  This year we will be offering the following presentations: 

■ “Through Your Resident’s Eyes.” This in-service will introduce your staff to common eye conditions affecting many facility residents. Your staff will also learn how these conditions impact a person’s quality of life and the challenges visually impaired residents may face.

■  “What’s Wrong with Mrs. Smith’s Eye”?  This in-service will present various photos of residents with eye or vision problems and offer simple ways to assess if the condition is an emergency, urgent or routine.
Please feel free to contact our Southern office at: (866)-260-2020, or our Northern office at: (877)-393-7260 to schedule a presentation.

Photo-Documentation Service Now Available
​
​          Advanced Eyecare is excited to announce that we have just taken delivery of our first order of the Volk Pictor Plus Digital Imaging Camera.  This advanced, portable device can document eye conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma related changes.  Photos are uploaded into our patient data base and can be recalled at any time.  We can also print out photos at the time of the examination so they are available for your facility’s Medical Director or DON.  This is a great tool for resident care conferences and to let residents and families know your facility provides the best level of care. Advanced Eyecare will be expanding the availability of this service throughout the year. 

HIghlights: 20 Years of Service:
​        
​          2015 marks the 20 year anniversary of our founder, President and Clinical Director, Dr. Ron Black, beginning his service to the residents of SNF’s.  In 1995 Dr. Black began providing care to residents in a few local facilities seeing about 40 patients each week.  From this humble start, Advanced Eyecare has become the state’s largest provider of vision care services to SNF’s and MHRC’s, serving the needs of some 48,000 residents in 600 facilities. Thanks Dr. Black for your vision and commitment to the needs of our residents!

■ In the first quarter of 2015 we completed our Southern California business office renovation expanding from 1200 sq ft to over 3000 sq. feet to meet the needs of our growing facility population.

■ Advanced Eyecare has expanded our Optometrist staffing, now employing 19 staff doctors and an additional 2 doctors currently undergoing credentialing.  We have also added additional MA’s (Medical Assistants) to assist our Optometrists in providing resident care.
​
■ Advanced Eyecare’s CEO,  Movses D’Janbatian, O.D., having completed his term as Ca. Optometric Association President in 2013 continues to be active in leadership roles within the optometric community.

Vision Care Often Overlooked

Dr. David Turetsky, O.D. & Deanna Hill, NHA Chair of the CAHF QI Subcommittee
​
          Quality vision care is a goal of every provider. It allows us to interact with our community, communicate, and enjoy many activities in our nursing facilities. According to the American Optometric Association, visual impairment represents one of the most common disabilities among nursing home residents.
          It is also one of the most unrecognized disabilities by nursing home staffs. Nursing home residents suffer visual impairment at rates 13 to 15 times higher than older adults in the general population. Even worse, more than half of nursing home residents receive no eye care, even though the facility has contracted eye care services. Simply put, if a patient (or a family member) doesn’t complain, there is typically no treatment, and a much higher risk for potential visual loss.
          The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual (Chapter 15) explains that physicians’ services (as well as glaucoma screenings) are covered under Part B, even though the patient has Part A coverage for the hospital or SNF stay. Medi-Cal eligible residents have vision benefits for routine vision exams and, if a resident of a nursing facility, a benefit for eyeglasses. 
          Vision loss is almost always a slow process with few signs or symptoms in the early, most treatable stages. Diabetics are at a higher risk for vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy. Older residents, residents of African-American ancestry and residents with Alzheimer’s disease are more prone to develop glaucoma.
          Make sure to talk your facility’s vision care provider if you have any questions regarding your residents’ eye health and vision care options. Quality care from committed staff who recognize changes in a resident’s condition early can make all the difference.