Eye Tests in your own Home 

As you grow older, it is more important than ever to have regular eye tests. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for people with health or mobility problems to lose touch with the services of an optometrist and neglect their eyesight. However, this need not be the case. At Eric Mercer's we provide a Home Visit Service where we can test your eyes in the comfort of your own home. We also carry out eye tests in nursing homes, residential homes and hospitals.

When you're housebound, having the right glasses to fully enjoy activities like reading, knitting and watching TV can make a big difference to your quality of life. So, if through poor health you can’t come to see us, let us come to see you. Don’t neglect your eyesight - simply pick up the phone and book a Home Visit today. 

Eyecare 

As well as checking if you need new glasses, a proper eye examination monitors the health of your eyes for conditions like cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Because most eye testing equipment is portable, the quality of care provided in a home visit is similar to that given in an optometrist’s practice. Also, having an eye test carried out in the comfort of your own home causes a minimum of physical and emotional disruption.

Free home visits

If you are entitled to free NHS eye tests and require a home visit then you should also be eligible to have your domiciliary eye tests free. Eligible categories include:
  • those aged 60 or over 
  • diabetics  
  • people with glaucoma 
  • people aged 40 or over who have a close relative with glaucoma. 
Furthermore, if you receive benefits, such as Pension Credit or Income Support, you may be entitled to help towards the cost of spectacles.

Eligibility

So who is entitled to home visits? Under NHS guidelines, domiciliary eye tests are available to anyone who is unable to visit an optometrist’s practice unaccompanied, due to physical or mental illness. This would include people whose mobility is badly restricted by conditions like arthritis, stroke or breathing problems. It can also apply to people with mental health problems who may not be able to cope with a visit to a high street optometrist. For example, those with Alzheimer’s, agoraphobia or severe depression.