Sensory: Caring for optical aids

Definitions & Key takeaways

Optical aids, such as glasses or contact lenses, are an important part of many people's daily lives and require proper care to maintain their functionality and longevity. Here are some useful tips that can help when caring for clients with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Help the clients with the cleaning of their glasses or contact lenses regularly with a cleaning solution and a soft cloth. Do not use tap water, as it may contain minerals that can damage the lenses. Avoid using your shirt or other rough surfaces to clean your lenses, as this can scratch them. When not in use, store your glasses in a hard case to protect them from scratches and damage. If you wear contact lenses, store them in the appropriate solution to keep them hydrated and free of debris.

Note that there are some situations that you need to report immediately. First, if the client complains of eye pain, itchiness, redness, irritation, blurred vision, or about the contact lenses being uncomfortable. For clients with artificial eyes, report if there are a lot of drainages or if there's an abnormal odor. Finally, document the date, time, and place you took part in assisting the client with eye care and also any unusual observations.

Chapters:

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Intro0:00–1:39

Many of your clients will wear glasses or contact lenses, which are commonly used to correct vision. Contact lenses are made to adhere to the cornea, which is a transparent part of the eye in front of the iris.
They can be rigid gas permeable or soft lenses. Rigid gas permeable lenses are made of firm plastic that allows oxygen to pass through it and are smaller than the cornea.
Soft contact lenses are made of flexible plastic that covers the entire cornea plus a small area around it. Now, there are a few common reasons why an individual would need glasses or contact lenses: nearsightedness or myopia, which is a disorder when the eyes can’t focus on faraway objects; farsightedness, or hyperopia, which is a disorder usually present at birth when the eyes can’t focus on close objects; astigmatism, which occurs when the cornea or the lens inside the eye is irregularly shaped, so the vision is distorted or blurry; and presbyopia, which is a natural part of the aging process that occurs when the eyes can no longer focus on objects close-by.Some of your clients might have an artificial or prosthetic eye because their natural eye was surgically removed, usually, due to an injury, infection, eye tumor or a disorder called glaucoma, which happens when the pressure inside the eye gets too high, causing damage to the nerves and blood vessels.
Now, some of your clients will be able to take care of their own eyeglasses, contact lenses, or artificial eye, but others might need your help.

Common care tips1:39–2:42

There are a few things to remember before the procedure. Inform your clients about the procedure, and explain it to them.
Your clients aren’t able to see well without their visual aids, so make sure they are not standing or walking during the procedure as they could injure themselves.
Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and artificial eyes are expensive, so make sure that they are not damaged or lost. Eyeglasses, contact lenses, and artificial eyes should have their containers labeled with the client’s name, bed and room number, and they should always be kept in the same place (like in the top drawer of the bedside stand.)
Eyeglasses should be cleaned every day and whenever they get dirty. Contact lenses should be removed from the eyes and cleaned periodically to prevent eye injury and infection.
Be especially diligent about your own hand hygiene when handling a client’s glasses or contact lenses. When caring for the client’s eyeglasses, you will need the eyeglass case, cleaning solution or soap and warm water, and a disposable cotton cloth or special lens cloth.If the client is wearing their eyeglasses, you will want to remove them first.

Caring for client’s eyeglasses2:42–3:35

Hold the eyeglasses by the frame next to their temples—be careful not to touch the lenses. Carefully lift them up from the ears, and then move them down and away from the face.
Apply the cleaning solution (or soap and warm water) to clean the lenses with the cloth in a circular motion. Use the cloth to dry them.
If the client won’t be wearing them immediately, fold them and put them in the case. If the client wants to wear them, hold them by the section where the frames and the arms meet, and place them over the client’s ears.When caring for the client’s contact lenses, you will need gloves, saline solution, and the appropriate cleansing solution recommended by the manufacturer.

Caring for client’s contact lenses3:35–4:59

To help a client remove their soft contact lenses, first prepare the case for the contacts, and keep in mind that there are clearly labeled right and left sides on the case.
Ask the client to tilt their head back, and put two to three drops of saline solution into the client’s eye. Next, ask the client to look straight ahead.
Retract the lower eyelid, and gently slide the lens off the cornea with your index finger. To remove hard lenses, place your index finger on the edge of the eye, and gently pull the skin towards the ear.
Ask the client to blink. The lens should dislodge.
If it doesn’t, retract the eyelids beyond the edge of the lens, and gently press the lower portion of both eyelids against the lower edge of the lens container before putting the contacts in their labeled compartment.
To insert the lenses, remove them from the container and rinse with a rinsing solution. Check the lens for dust, defects, rips, and other damage, and place the lens on the tip of your index finger with the concave side up.
Place the contact lens on the index finger of one hand. Use the other hand’s index finger to pull back the client’s eyelid before putting on the contact lenses.
When caring for the client’s artificial eye you will need gloves, the designated container, soft cloth or four by four gauze, a towel, saline, and some mild soap.

Caring for client’s artificial eye4:59–6:38

First, line the container with a soft cloth or gauze and fill it with saline. If you don’t have a dedicated container available, a denture cup will do.
If you’re not sure what to use, ask the nurse for directions. Next line the sink with towels before you wash the eyes.
Ask the client to remove the artificial eye and to put it in the container. If they need assistance, use your index finger to retract the lower eyelid.
Carefully apply a slight amount of pressure towards the artificial eye and it should slide out. Make sure you’re ready to catch the eye when it comes out.
Carefully take the eye to the sink you prepared and wash it with mild soap and warm water. After it has been cleaned thoroughly, place it inside the container with the saline and close the lid.
Wash the eye socket with warm water or saline. Wipe from the side closest to the nose to the side closest to the ear using a clean section of the cloth each time, if there’s any excess moisture or drainage, clear them with the gauze.
Finish by wiping around the eye socket with the cloth. When we need to put the artificial eye back in, take it out of the container.
Make sure the eye is aligned properly with the pupil facing out. Retract the upper eyelid with your index finger and gently slide the eye under the upper eyelid.
Retract the lower eyelid so the eye can slide into place. While caring for client’s eyeglasses and contact lenses, there are some situations that you need to report immediately.

Reporting and documentation6:38–7:08

First, if the client complains of eye pain, itchiness, redness, irritation, blurred vision, or about the contact lenses being uncomfortable.
For clients with artificial eyes, report if there’s a lot of drainage or if there’s an abnormal odor. Finally, document the date, time, and place you took part in assisting the client with eye care and also any unusual observations.
##SummaryAll right, as a quick recap… You will need to assist people wearing eyeglasses, contact lenses, or artificial eyes as part of your duty, and this includes helping them take off and put on these devices as well as cleaning them.

Recap7:08–7:25

Document the time and date as well as any unusual