If the person is still in hospital ask the doctor to do an eye examination. They may be able to see a problem immediately or they could ask for an eye specialist to examine the eyes in more detail.
If the person is at home ask your GP to make a referral or see your optician who may also be able to recommend what to do next. A stroke nurse or occupational therapist may be able to give you advice about small changes to your home surroundings which would make living with a visual problem a little easier. They may also be able to give you ideas to improve vision by using compensation strategies such as scanning to the affected side.
If the persons eyesight has been significantly affected it may be possible to become Registered as blind or partially sighted. This has to be done by a referral by your GP or hospital doctor to a specialist ophthalmologist. If the person is registered as blind or partially sighted they will be given a certificate of visual impairment stating the level of sight they have. They can then register with the local authority to be assessed for services and placed on a confidential register. The local authority may have travel concessions, blue badge scheme etc. They may also be eligible for tax allowances, discounted television licence and a disabled person’s railcard.
For more information:
- Royal National Institute for the Blind Scotland 12-14 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh – 0131 652 3140 or call 0303 123 9999 for the UK helpline.
- CHSS: Essential Guide to Vision after Stroke