Feinbloom Center Provides Independence for Low Vision Patients
The William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center, located in The Eye Institute of Salus University’s Oak Lane campus, strives to help every patient reach their goals. Goals typically include being able to read the newspaper, watch TV, feel more comfortable in crowded public spaces and perform everyday activities of daily living such as cooking a meal. These goals may seem mundane to some, but can mean a lot to the center’s patients.
Low vision patients are classified as those who have lost a certain amount of eyesight and have difficulty performing everyday tasks even with the assistance of regular eyeglasses, contact lenses, medications or surgery. The Feinbloom Center specializes in assisting patients with severe visual impairments using a comprehensive, team-based approach. According to Dr. Erin Kenny, no patient is beyond help, even in the most severe cases.
“There’s always an option,” she said. “There’s always something that can be done to improve quality of life. Whenever I see a difficult patient I say to myself, ‘OK, this is someone’s aunt or grandmother who’s going through this. What can I do for them?’”
What to expect at the William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center
A low vision patient’s experience at the Feinbloom Center begins before he or she even steps foot in The Eye Institute. Each patient is assigned a social worker who contacts the patient prior to their appointment to ask them about their visual abilities and identify their treatment goals.
The next members of their team include the optometrist and an optometric intern. They will examine the eye’s health during a low vision examination and discuss which goals the patient is focused on and how they can best achieve them. According to Dr. Kenny, these goals are achieved by the optometrist prescribing certain devices, showing the patient how to use different techniques or referring them to certain services that can help with their specific vision goals.
The final members of a patient’s team are low vision rehabilitation specialists. These professionals work with patients to help them utilize their prescribed devices to the best of their ability so they can maximize their remaining vision.
Some of the most commonly prescribed low vision devices include strong prescription glasses, magnifiers, telescopes and apps. These devices focus on magnifying items to a level that enables the patient to see more clearly. They can also change the contrast of certain text to provide a comfortable reading experience.
Optometrists also utilize non-optical techniques, which do not include using devices, when addressing patients’ goals. Some common techniques include manipulating lighting, contrast and tint when applicable.
Dr. Kenny has seen firsthand how visually impaired patients benefit from vision rehabilitation. A shy, 18-year-old patient responded well to the low vision devices she recommended, but his embarrassment fueled him to prefer less intrusive methods.
“The low vision apps worked well for this patient because he didn’t want to bring attention to his low vision, but still needed assistance,” she said. “I had him download a few apps to his phone and instructed him on how to use them. He responded very well to that option. You could see his demeanor change.”
Another patient of hers is a passionate musician who took low vision applications a step further by creating his own.
“He explained how difficult it was to read music and flip the pages while playing so he decided to make his own app,” Dr. Kenny said. “It allows visually impaired people to read music by magnifying the music sheet. He also connected his iPad to a foot pedal that allows him to flip the page on the screen while he’s playing. It’s really incredible how technology can assist visually impaired patients in various aspects of life.”
The William Feinbloom Vision Rehabilitation Center’s team- and goal-oriented approach is what sets it apart as a unique feature within The Eye Institute.
“I don’t think any other practice has such a high focus on using an interdisciplinary approach,” Dr. Kenny said. “We treat the whole patient. We have multiple professionals included throughout the entire exam process and throughout their care at The Eye Institute.“