BrightStar Care Helps Spread the Word About National Glaucoma Awareness Month

BrightStar Care
Published: January 27th, 2012

More than 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness. However, half of them don't even know it.

GURNEE, IL, January 27, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- More than 2.2 million Americans have glaucoma, the leading cause of preventable blindness. However, half of them don't even know it.

During the month of January, National Glaucoma Awareness Month, BrightStar Care, a full-service home healthcare and medical staffing agency, is determined to help raise awareness about this debilitating disease.

According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, most people learn that they have glaucoma during an annual eye exam, reinforcing the importance of routine check-ups to aide in the early detection of glaucoma before permanent vision loss occurs. Those at highest risk of getting glaucoma are men and women ages 60 and older, persons with diabetes, those who are severely nearsighted, and individuals with a family history of glaucoma.

While there is no cure for glaucoma, BrightStar Care offers the following tips to help promote good vision health and manage glaucoma:

• Get routine comprehensive eye exams. The sooner the disease is detected, the sooner it can be managed. If it's difficult to get to a doctor's office, BrightStar Care caregivers can help you or your loved one schedule and get to an appointment.
• For people with glaucoma, medication adherence is critical to keeping the disease under control and reducing the likelihood of additional vision loss. Seniors with glaucoma often have a difficult time taking their eye drops. BrightStar Care nurses can help teach you or your family better ways to give your eye drops or even administer the eye drops for you.
• Know all of the medications the person with glaucoma takes—both prescribed and over-the-counter—to make sure there are no negative side effects that could impact vision health. BrightStar Care nurses can review your medications with you and your physician to reduce the likelihood of unintended consequences and optimize medication safety.
• Since glaucoma impacts peripheral visual fields, individuals with glaucoma should be taught to stop and scan. Taking a few seconds to scan a room can prevent falls that occur from missing a step, tripping over a curb, or running into someone. BrightStar Care caregivers are able to assist in performing a home safety check to further enhance your sense of safety and well-being.

For more information, please visit http://www.brightstarcare.com.

About BrightStar Care

Based in Chicago, BrightStar Care is one of the fastest growing home healthcare and medical staffing providers in the country, with more than 225 locations across North America. BrightStar proudly serves military veterans among its many families served, offering both medical and non-medical homecare to private clients within their homes, as well as supplemental healthcare staff to corporate clients such as hospitals, assisted living facilities, and doctors' offices.

For more information on BrightStar Care, please visit http://www.brightstarcare.com. To learn more about becoming part of the BrightStar family as a franchisee, visit http://www.brightstarfranchise.com.