Services
Prevention of Blindness Services
Little children don't know how well they should be able to see. Therefore, they cannot express vision difficulties they may be experiencing. We conduct preschool vision screenings to locate, at the earliest possible age, children who may have vision problems so they may be corrected before the child begins his or her formal education.
We also provide adult vision screenings at public health fairs and provide public education on aging and eye health at senior centers. Many older adults allow vision problems to go untreated, thinking that gradual vision loss is unavoidable as we get older. Conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts may cause gradual loss of vision that may not be noticed, yet both conditions are highly treatable when detected early. Even a simple pair of glasses can help one to see better and improve the quality of his or her life.
Low Vision Rehabilitation Services
The Bucks County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired has a clinic where we are able to perform low vision examinations. These services are covered by Medicare and most insurances. Your ophthalmologist can refer you for a low vision examination to help determine your visual function and what adaptations can be made with magnification and lighting to help you perform every day tasks. You must have had a medical eye examination within the last year in order for us to assess your visual function. If necessary, low vision aids can be supplied to help you modify tasks. We will work with you to obtain funding for these supplies if you cannot afford them.
We also work with an occupational therapist, who is also a certified low vision therapist, who will come to your home and work with you on modifying tasks to make them easier. These services are also covered by Medicare. A small co-pay may apply if you have not yet met your deductible.
Our professional staff provides counseling and guidance to persons with vision loss to enable them to adjust their lives in a way that takes into account their vision loss. We talk to our clients about the concept of independent living and provide them with information to explore resources and alternatives available to them.
Socialization and Rehabilitation Services
Home chore services help our clients remain independent in their homes. Services include reading correspondence, assistance in writing checks, and labeling appliances for easier use. For people who are unable to leave their home because of mobility problems, we will pick up shopping lists and do shopping for them.
Transportation is a much-needed service for people who are visually impaired, especially in Bucks County where there is so little public transportation available. We provide transportation to and from our center for programs, to doctor appointments, to the pharmacy, for grocery shopping and banking, and to other agencies so they may receive assistance. We also provide escort service when taking clients to locations that are unfamiliar to them.
Our center is open every weekday to provide life skills education and socialization/recreation programs to people who are blind or vision impaired. Life skills education is offered to both groups and individuals for the purpose of furnishing them with practical information, education and training required for them to efficiently compensate for their vision impairment. Programs include personal care, cooking techniques, household organization, and how to use low vision aids. There are not many people who can cope with a vision loss alone. Our support groups provide a forum where blind people can exchange ideas, share experiences and help each other. Our weekly social and recreational programs help relieve that sense of isolation that so many blind people report to us. Expressing creativity, whether by singing together, making a craft, or storytelling, is an important aspect of human existence. Because many of our clients are diabetic, or live alone and don't always cook a balanced meal for themselves, we provide a hot meal every day at lunch to help them maintain good nutrition.
Our social workers provide case management services. We provide advocacy for clients when necessary to educate third parties regarding the rights of persons with vision impairment and the third party's responsibility under the law. Housing assistance enables our clients to obtain and retain adequate housing. We help them locate safe housing that meets their needs related to issues such as budget, security, and access to transportation. We help them process applications for utilities, insurance, tax and rent rebate programs, fuel assistance and weatherization.
When a person with vision loss is referred to us, the social worker will make a home visit to assess a potential client's current living status, capabilities, and goals that may be attained with the provision of training, instruction, or short term intervention by our agency. They provide information and referral for services that may be provided by other agencies. They distribute low-vision appliances through our loan program and provide talking book machines that play recorded books. Through tapes and records, the world of literature is opened to those unable to see the printed word. This service is vital in helping blind persons gain access to education and entertainment.
If you have been under the impression that the Bucks County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired serves only people who are blind, we ask you to take a closer look. We offer far more to our community than just services to persons who are blind. You don't have to be visually impaired to receive our assistance. If you are beginning to have problems with small tasks like threading needles, we can help. In our low vision store, "Eye deas" we carry a variety of adaptive equipment that can cost as little as $1 and yet can make life so much easier. We are here, as we have been since 1945, to help improve the quality of life for all residents of Bucks County.