Vision Checks in a Fall Prevention Programme in Almelo
At Fysiotherapiepraktijk De Graven Esch in Almelo, Reyedar measured visual acuity and peripheral vision for the participants of a fall prevention programme: seeing well is also about noticing what happens at the edges.
This morning we were back at Fysiotherapiepraktijk De Graven Esch in Almelo, as part of their fall prevention programme. Two groups took part. During the training, participants learn about the factors that raise the risk of a fall, and vision is one of them.
On these mornings we measure two things: visual acuity, and peripheral vision with SONDA. The combination matters. Seeing well is not only about how sharp the image is straight ahead, but about noticing obstacles, movement and changes in the surroundings in time. For moving safely through a room or a street, the edges of the field of view do a lot of the work.
Measuring both makes that visible to the participants and to the physiotherapists, and it fits alongside the other elements they train: balance, strength and mobility. The purpose is broader than an eye test. It is to show how sharp vision and peripheral vision together contribute to moving safely and to preventing falls.
Our thanks to the team of De Graven Esch and to the participants of both groups.
The vision checks were informational and not a medical diagnosis. SONDA is CE-marked as an aid in the diagnosis and staging of primary open-angle glaucoma.
