Warkworth Low Vision Support Group Monday 18 February 1.30pm

For the past four years the Low Vision Support group has met each month at Summerset Retirement Village.

This is a support group for people with low vision, and people who have eye conditions, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, who may in the future be living with reduced sight. Our group has come together through shared challenges and losses, and celebrated successes when someone has embraced new technology and found solutions which are very helpful.

Blind Low Vision New Zealand are moving away from their physical audio players to Alexa Smart Speakers, and several people now find these devices very useful on a daily basis. Smart phone apps are helpful to read mail aloud.

While some of this technology is hugely helpful, there are still many everyday challenges to overcome when you don’t see well. One recent shared frustration discussed was the three pin plug. Many in this group find doing this very tricky. This is an appeal to anyone out there with a problem solving bent; how can we design a solution for this?!

Three pin plug, can you solve the problem?

We meet the 3rd Monday of each month, 1.30pm. Please join us if you or someone in your family is struggling with low vision.

At our next meeting, Monday 19 Feburary, we are meeting at Summerset Falls. We will be joined by Helena Easton from Blind and Low Vision NZ. She is a great link to all the resources and support on offer. Please join us, all welcome.

Warkworth Low Vision Support Group Monday 19 September 1.30pm

For the past three years the Low Vision Support group has met each month at Summerset Retirement Village.

This is a support group for people with low vision, and people who have eye conditions, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, who may in the future be living with reduced sight. Although this community has come together through shared challenges and losses, there have been many highlights. Some of the group has mastered new technology and found solutions which are very helpful.

Blind Low Vision New Zealand are moving away from their physical audio players to Alexa Smart Speakers, and several people now find these devices very useful on a daily basis.

One of our group, Brian Holmes, has had great success with a Reveal 16 electronic magnifier. This is similar to one now set up in the Warkworth Library. It has a moveable table making it very user friendly for reading books, or magazines.

Brian Holmes and Pam Poole

Brian’s main joy with the Magnifier has been his stamp collecting passion. The magnification goes up to 45X and the unit helps him see coloured detail on his stamps.

We meet the 3rd Monday of each month, 1.30pm. Please join us if you or someone in your family is struggling with low vision.

At our next meeting, Monday 19 September, we are visiting the Warkworth Library and will be joined by Sarah Parsons from Bolinda Borrow Box - suppliers of much of the library’s collection of digital audio. Please join us and learn more about how to access the library collection of audiobooks. You are welcome even if you can see well. Bring your smart phone and library card, and Sarah will show us tips to make enjoying audio books easier.

Read more about using Alexa - here is a review from a 97 year old crime fiction fan.

Low Vision Support Group

For the past year the Low Vision Support group has met at Summerset Retirement Village. At our last meeting Brian Holmes brought his Reveal 16 electronic magnifier to show us. This has a X-Y table making it very user friendly for reading books, or magazines. There were lots of envious comments when we saw it in action.

Brian Holmes and Pam Poole

Brian’s main joy with the Reveal 16 is he can resume his stamp collecting passion. The magnification goes up to 45X. He showed us the level of detail on his Red Boy and Blue Boy 1931 New Zealand Health stamps. The unit has also helped him see coloured detail on his stamps.

We meet the 3rd Monday of each month, 1.30pm. Please join us if you or someone in your family is struggling with low vision.

At our next meeting, Monday 27 July, we will be joined by Diana Morse from Blind and Low Vision NZ. Diana will demonstrate the Alexa and the Blind Foundation Skill. This user friendly technology enables access to audio books and magazines

Read more about using Alexa - here is a review from a 97 year old crime fiction fan.

Helping you to pay

We offer a number of ways for you to pay for eyewear and eyecare.

You can now use Afterpay with us. Split your purchase into 4 equal installments. You’ll pay your first installment at the time of purchase, and the remaining 3 installments in fortnightly scheduled payments.

We also take the Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Or you may prefer to pay off your account with prearranged regular payments over three months.

What we are wearing - Katrina in Anne et Valentin

Katrina has been wearing glasses since she was 8 years old. She describes her first pair as ‘yuck’, and tells me she had no choice in frames. She is more positive when she talks about this pair of glasses!

Frame: Anne et Valentin Baudelaire, titanium, colour H38, size 39-22

Lens: Hoya Mystyle Profile Modern progressive, 1.67 index material with BlueCoat

You are an Anne et Valentin fan.

Katrina: It works. They are crazy light, it is comfortable and the frame keeps its shape.

Are you rough on your glasses?!

Katrina: My glasses have a realistic life. I swap between my clear pair and sunglasses (Maui Jims). The nosepads work and the frame does not slide.

You have two screens here at work. How do you find the optics of this progressive design?

Katrina: Good no issues with that range.

How do you find the BlueCoat?

Katrina: Good especially for night driving, although I am also considering trying the EnRoute lens.

Here is a little background on the BAUDELAIRE, these all titanium small octagonal frames. “Sophisticated and intelligent, yet thoughtful and political, introverted and precious, quite serious, never boring.” We think this sounds like a good match!

What foods are good for your eyes?

Healthy eating is fundamental to good eye health. Avoiding highly processed foods that are high in fat and sugar and enjoying a diet that includes antioxidants, lutein, vitamin A and omega-3 (found in fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as eggs and oily fish) will benefit not only the health of your eyes but your overall well-being.

Everyday living exposes us to free radicals that can cause cell damage in our eyes. Free radicals are by-products of sun exposure, (poor) diet and environmental pollutants. Along with regular eye exams, a nutritious and balanced diet rich in vitamins and antioxidants may assist in maintaining the health of our eyes.

So what foods are good for your eyes?

Antioxidants

Antioxidants play a key role in the prevention of disease in the eye. Found in fresh fruits and vegetables, antioxidants can help to counteract the effects of free radicals. Choosing vegetables with brighter colours and eating them raw is the best way to obtain their nutrients. Berries, such as raspberries, blueberries and bilberries, are also rich in antioxidants.

Lutein

Dark, leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale contain a powerful antioxidant called lutein that is essential to human vision. Lutein is a natural pigment that reduces the harmful effects of free radicals by protecting the retina.

Vitamin A

There is a bit of propaganda that has led to the universal knowledge that carrots help you see in the dark. In WWII the British Royal Air Force was successful in shooting down many German planes while blackouts were still in effect across the country to minimize the visibility of targets on the ground. Don’t worry, the British government said. If you eat carrots, they’ll help you see in the dark, just like they did for RAF Flight Lieutenant John “Cat’s Eyes” Cunningham. Cunningham was responsible for shooting down 20 German aircraft, and it was attributed to his love of carrots. The British government made this up.

But science has now backed this up- carrots can help your eyes! Loaded with beta-carotenes, carrots, along with sweet potato, squash and cantaloupe, can all benefit vision. Your liver transforms beta-carotenes into vitamin A, which then travels to the retina where it is converted into rhodopsin, the chemical responsible for night vision.

Omega-3

Found in eggs and oily fish like salmon, omega-3 fatty acids are vital for optimal eye development. Omega-3 provides nutrients that allow your eyes to function at their best and in some cases can prevent or lessen the effects of dry eye.

If you have any questions about the best ‘eye’ foods to eat please talk to us.