Binay: Dedicated health care program for visually impaired elderly needed

Senator Nancy Binay is calling for the establishment of a national senior vision services program dedicated to providing medical and other needed services for the country's elderly persons who have functional visual impairments.

"The eye is an important organ of the human body that is used in everyday life. As they age, elderly people encounter different problems that lead to impairment of visual functions," Binay, who introduced Senate Bill No. 2157, otherwise known as the Senior Vision Services Act, said.

According to Binay, the proposed measure seeks to protect and promote the health and welfare of our senior citizens by creating a national senior vision program that will provide comprehensive services for their functional visual impairments.

Under the program, elderly citizens with functional vision impairment may avail of medical services such as vision screening, eye examination, provision of corrective eye glasses, client and family counseling, information and referrals for ophthalmological, optometric, or other health care services.

The program, which will be under the direction of the Department of Health (DOH), shall also offer technical assistance and training for human services personnel to serve persons who are blind or visually impaired.

The DOH shall likewise take into consideration the lack of services for elderly persons in need of vision services, and to establish or expand existing blind or visually impaired services currently available in municipalities and cities throughout the country.

"It is our duty to provide senior citizens with health care services that will assist them in adapting to visual impairments brought about by aging," Binay said.