It’s a sad fact that about one-third of older adults with vision loss report clinically significant depressive symptoms. Sad also to realise that those who care for someone with vision loss are three times as likely to suffer from depression. In this issue of mivision we explore depression and anxiety related to vision loss, talking to the experts about what you can be looking out for and how you can best direct patients who show symptoms of this debilitating mental illness.
On a lighter note, for this issue we spoke to Michael Amendolia. You’ve probably never heard to Michael yet you’re sure to be familiar with his work. He is the photographer who shot that famous black and white image of Fred Hollows, surrounded by Vietnamese villagers, pointing to the eye of a young Vietnamese boy – the image that has become integral to the Fred Hollows Foundation brand.
Jennifer Gersbeck, CEO of Vision 2020 in Australia is a dynamic woman, is focussed on bringing together Australia’s disparate groups who represent eye health and aged care, on creating a collective message, and lobbying governments for change. We spoke to Jennifer about the aspirations she has for her organisation and for change – it’s a great read.
Our guest editor for Ophthalmology Insights this issue is Professor Gerard Sutton who writes on cataract surgery and why, despite the rapid evolution of technology, there will always be a role for cataract surgeons.
In education this issue, optometrist Margaret Lam writes about dry eye, providing a practical summary of the DEWS report, which is well recognised as a resource for diagnosing and managing the disease that affects quality of life for so many. Dr. Judith Flanagan and Daniel Tilia have prepared our second education article on new designs for multifocal contact lenses, including the Extended Depth of Focus Lenses (EDOF) developed by Brien Holden Vision Pty Ltd which have just received clearance by the Federal Drug Administration in United States (as detailed in our lead new story).
Elsewhere in mivision, marketer Carolyn Tate writes about how you can become a conscious leader, in the process bringing your staff along with you on the journey and encouraging your customers and patients to do much of the marketing for you. She says it’s all about “promoting your offering with honesty, transparency and congruency and with messages of hope and humanity…” It’s hard to argue with that.
Continuing our focus on business, Michael Jacobs provides an insight into how you can prepare for ODMA. This is definitely a piece that will help you make the most of the biennial Brisbane event which showcases the latest in both technology and eyewear for independent optometry. To help you further your preparations, we’ve profiled many leading eyewear brands and some of the lesser known in our special ODMA fashion feature. Also in fashion you’ll find a profile of Caron Kraitt, the creative powerhouse behind British eyewear brands Jai Kudo and J K London, as well as the latest fashion news from around the globe.
Mark Cushway
Editor
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