Helping older people get the eye care they need

Despite being more affected by visual impairment and blindness than any other population group, older people are the group least likely to seek help when faced with eye problems or a deterioration of their vision. Even in the Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania, one of the few regions in Africa to have an excellent community eye care programme, it is estimated that only one in three older people with cataract actually receives an operation. This article looks at some of the most important reasons that older people don’t get the eye care they need.