Along with Older Americans Month, May is also Healthy Vision Month—a time for older adults to prioritize their eye health and driving safety.
Vision is one of the essential functions for driving. But, vision decline is the most significant loss that many people experience as we age and can impact our driving safety. By prioritizing regularly scheduled eye exams for yourself and loved ones, you increase the chances of identifying a change early and working with your healthcare provider to extend your safe driving ability.
Now, during Healthy Vision Month, is a great opportunity to schedule a check-up with an eye care professional to ensure your eyes are healthy.
However, some older adults may not be able to access eye care as conveniently as others, whether it be out-of-network providers or an inability to find a health care provider. Thankfully, services are available to help bridge this gap.
EyeCare America® connects uninsured patients 65 and older with local ophthalmologists, medical eye doctors who specialize in eye and vision care. Those who qualify for EyeCare America can get eye care without any out-of-pocket cost.
"Maintaining independence is often a top priority for people as they age, and yet so many Americans put off their routine eye exams. When finances are a concern, people might choose to ignore symptoms like difficulty seeing the road at night, or they may think that they don’t need an exam because their vision seems fine. Many people don’t know that some eye diseases can begin without any noticeable symptoms,” said Annamarie Hastings, director of EyeCare America at the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “We don’t want cost to be the reason people skip these sight-saving exams. EyeCare America aims to address this by matching uninsured or high-risk patients with an ophthalmologist near them.”
To date, more than 2.2 million have been provided with eye care or eye health resources through EyeCare America. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends an eye exam with an ophthalmologist at least once by the time you reach 40 and every year or two after the age of 65.
Do you have these symptoms of declining vision?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you may be at increased risk of declining vision if you experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- You have problems reading highway or street signs or recognizing someone you know across the street.
- You have trouble seeing lane lines and other pavement markings, curbs, medians, other vehicles, and pedestrians--especially at dawn, dusk, and night.
- You experience more discomfort at night from the glare of oncoming headlights.
ChORUS encourages older road users to prioritize their vision health and road safety this Healthy Vision Month, and we have resources to support you. Explore the ChORUS website for guides and tools, such as the ChORUS medical conditions guide, which provides information on how changes to your health can impact your driving safety, as well as the ChORUS Transportation Planning Tool, where you can create a plan for safe driving.
Additional Resources