Eye Health Calculator, Infant Eye Care Program, and EyeCare America's Cataract Programs

"The Healthy Sight Calculator [sponsored by Transitions] allows users to calculate their risk for eye-related diseases and vision problems, and how much they could save - in time, money and sight - with the right vision care and vision wear through their vision benefit," says LehighAcresCitiizen. "Results vary based on the user's age, gender and ethnicity, all of which impact risk for vision problems and health issues that can affect the eyes. The new tool can be used by employers to educate their workforce, or accessed directly by consumers at HealthySightCalculator.org." Read more. You might want to refer your patients to the site.

You might also want to remind parents of infants about the InfantSEE program, run by the AOA and sponsored by Johnson & Johnson's Vision Care Institute.  Its website states the program "is designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. Under this program, AOA optometrists provide a comprehensive eye and vision assessments for infants within the first year of life regardless of a family's income or access to insurance coverage.

Finally "though cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss worldwide, myths persist about their cause and treatment. More than 20 million people in the US older than 40 have cataracts, and more than half of them will develop cataracts by age 80, according to the National Eye Institute," goes the press release from Eyecare America. "In honor of Cataract Awareness Month, EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye exams at no out-of-pocket cost to people age 65 and older [The medication assistance isn't relevant to cataracts]. The eye exams are provided by a corps of nearly 7,000 volunteer ophthalmologists across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Those interested in the program can visit www.eyecareamerica.org to see if they are eligible. The organization's online referral center also enables friends and family members to find out instantly if their loved ones are eligible to be matched with an EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist." Read more.