Broken Glasses

[mandyp]

Mum has now been in a home for 3 weeks and is settling in well.

The unfortunate thing is that between being in hospital and the home, she has broken 3 pairs of glasses and contantly removes them and breaks the legs.

When we've replaced them, she manages better (even though she removes/breaks them).

I wondered if anyone had had similar experiences and if they'd found 'unbreakable' glasses? Or any way to secure them?

She responds better to us when she has them, she's less funny about changes in carpet colours and also when being fed if she can see, but we're not sure what to do because she takes her glasses off and twists them till the legs etc break.

Has anyone got any suggestions/experienced anything similar?

Thanks

 

[jenniferpa]

I think Craig, one of the other moderators asked this question a while back, and I believe he was going to investigate glasses with "sporting" frames (essentially unbreakable). I don't know whether he did so, though. However, that would seem a reasonable path to take - these things are designed not to break in, for example, a rugby scrum (which is not to say a determined fiddler could not damage them).

As a glasses wearer myself, I know how relatively easy it is to break regular glasses even if you aren't particularly trying (I am currently wearing my "backup" pair").

 

[Grannie G]

You can get `bendy` glasses for children so I don`t see why you can`t get them for adults too.

 

[creativesarah]

i think i saw some unbreakable glasses @ specsavers

 

[TinaT]

I had this a few years ago with Ken but he seems to leave them on nowadays so they don't get broken as often. When he was regularly breaking his glasses I took out insurance at one of the well known high street eye care chain so it didn't cost me anything to have to keep replacing them.

I've had a reminder that he needs his eyes testing from the shop but he goes to the eye hospital quite regularly to check on his glaucoma and the last eye test at the hospital was impossible to do. Ken just couldn't understand what we were asking of him. I think the days when he could have his eyes tested are now gone.

xxTinaT

 

[Onlyme]

Flexon is the make you are looking for. High street optician chains might to their own version of them.

 

[dalesman]

Hi Mandy

I've had exactly the same thing with Brenda since she went into the nursing home. I've bought 2 pairs of "ultraflex" glasses, which you can twist and bend without damage ( 2 for 1 at a high street optician). They are quite smart as well. I've also put cords on so that they hang round her neck when she takes them off, with doggy tags engraved with her name, strung on the cords, so they don't get lost.

She still takes them off though!

Good luck
John

 

[TinaT]

Ken's CH does not allow cords around the neck( Health & Safety) so I put a blob of nailvarnish on each of the earpieces to identify his glasses from all the others which get 'lost'.

xxTinaT

 

[mandyp]

Yes I found Flexon, quite expensive.

Are the Ultraflex cheaper, I can't find which Optician does them (would you mind sending me a PM of the optician).

We did try putting a cord on her glasses, but the nailpolish is a really good tip to differentiate. Unfortunately the cord didn't stop her removing (and subsequently breaking them!)

I did see that we could get them insured, but 3 pairs in such a short time, I'm not sure that it would be worthwhile as surely they would stop paying out. Also all the back and forth to get new pairs etc.

Flexon would be ideal, but as I said quite expensive (although I will buy them, sadly Dad can't afford them).

Tina, I actually mentioned to Dad the issue with getting Mum's eyes tested in future today when we went to visit, but he said that even last time he got it done, Mum wasn't capable of having a conventional eyetest. However the optician said it wasn't a problem (although it couldn't be as accurate, Dad was told that the equipment they had now can detect changes to the eyes). So there might be 'something' they can do to check.

 

[jenniferpa]

Ultraflex are sold by specsavers, and they may be sold elsewhere. They say they're £125 and up (I just love the "and up" bit ) - rarely do I manage to leave the opticians without spending $400 + and normally more.

 

[dalesman]

Yes we paid about £200 for 2 pairs at specsavers. That was with quite expensive varifocal lenses though, so ordinary lenses might be cheaper.

 

[Onlyme]

Flexon would be ideal, but as I said quite expensive (although I will buy them, sadly Dad can't afford them).

Are they any allowances that you can apply for? I have no idea what but it might be worth trying?

 

[TinaT]

If your mum is on disability living allowance (which I doubt) you can obtain a form from the DLA which entitles you to free dental and eye wear. I don't know if the same rules apply for any other allowance such as pension credits or attendance allowance but it might be worth your phoning the appropriate agenices and asking.

xxTinaT

 

[mandyp]

That's strange, Specsavers told Dad that they didn't do anything 'unbreakable'. I'll go down at the weekend and ask again. Flexon aren't available locally (so far!!) Vision Express were very honest and said they stopped stocking them as people didn't replace them

Mum does get DLA, we weren't aware that meant she would get free eyewear/dental care. I've asked Dad to look into that, he didn't know that.

As always, thank you all

 

[jenniferpa]

If they still argue the toss, tell them to look on their own website.

I can't find much about free eyetests/eyewear for peopel on DLA. Some people are entitled to free eyetests, although most (but not all) of the NHS guidelines I've seen indicate that DLA doesn't count as a qualifying benefit. This is different if the DLA has been granted on the basis of impaired sight though.

This is an example of the sort of thing I've found

http://www.homevisioncare.com/eligible.php

This is the NHS page

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcosts/pages/Eyecarecosts.aspx