Support and opportunities for visually impaired people in Cambridgeshire Information for Cambridgeshire County Council Provider Forum October 2015 Outline of presentation Aims of Cam Sight National framework and local partnerships Overall costs of sight loss and increasing need for services Costs of decreasing quality of life associated with sight loss Outcomes achieved by Cam Sight for local visually impaired people Increasing our reach to visually impaired people across Cambridgeshire Aims of Cam Sight Cam Sight is a registered charity established in We support visually impaired people in Cambridgeshire in maintaining independence and wellbeing; raise awareness of eye health to reduce eye disease and work with the wider community to ensure needs of blind and partially sighted people are met We provide a range of prevention services that reduce mental ill-health, falls, isolation, hospital visits and need for care and we support vulnerable people in living independently and safely in their homes and communities. National framework and local partnerships UK Vision Strategy aims are supported by UK governments and implemented through an alliance of statutory health and social care bodies, the voluntary sector and eye health professionals. The strategy sets the direction for eye health and sight loss services in UK Cam Sight is a member of the Cambridgeshire Vision Partnership that implements the UK Vision Strategy locally. The Cam Sight CEO is the local lead on the national UK Vision Strategy group The Partnership is comprised of Addenbrookes and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals; CCG and Area Team; Cambs County Council; Anglia Ruskin University Optometry Department; Cambs Local Optometric Committee; Healthwatch Cambs and local and national third sector visual impairment organisations. Overall costs of sight loss and increasing need for services Losing ones sight is a devastating diagnosis for many people 1 in 5 people aged 75 and over and 1 in 2 aged 90 and over live with sight loss (1) 18,210 people are estimated to live with sight loss in Cambridgeshire, this number projected to increase to 23,490 by 2020 due to factors including ageing and diabetes (2) Total NHS Programme budget spend on problems of vision in was 21.5 billion (2). This NHS Programme budget spend on problems of vision equates to 35.61 per person in Cambridgeshire (2). Costs of decreasing quality of life associated with sight loss Very severe Age-related Macular Degeneration causes a 63% decrement in quality of life, a decrease similar to that associated with a severe stroke that leaves a person bedridden, incontinent and requiring constant nursing care (3) The prevalence of depression in visually impaired people is approximately 30-45% compared to 12% in the non-visually impaired population over 65 years (4) Research indicates that until someone has come to terms with a diagnosis of sight loss they are unable to take up specialist services needed to maintain independence (5) A secondary diagnosis of depression increases risk of nursing home admission (6) Three out of four visually impaired older people live in poverty or on its margins on less than half the mean national income (7). Outcomes achieved by Cam Sight for local visually impaired people Please see accompanying diagram of outcomes Emotional well-being Social inclusion Economic well-being Independent living Increasing our reach to visually impaired people across Cambridgeshire. The following pictures and stories show: Rolling out services in Fenland Increasing our use of volunteers Developing support for visually impaired children, young people and families Visually impaired people delivering services and supporting each other. Claires story Claire in the next slide and her guide dog, Blaize meet a young visually impaired member of our childrens group and his mother. Having attended our set of emotional peer support group sessions, Claire was inspired to provide counselling and emotional support to other visually impaired people. She has been sponsored through Cam Sight to take up a three year counselling course and is in her second year. Claire is currently employed by Cam Sight one day per week; she provides one to one support, helps the Cam Sight counsellor lead the peer support groups and leads a follow-on group for previous participants of the groups. Volunteers provide contact and a safety net for those most isolated and vulnerable Diane, here in the next slide, has been a volunteer with Cam Sight for many years and runs the Cam Sight Ring-Around Service. In her own words: I just love doing it. We have about twenty-five people on our books at any one time and we phone them every month. The Cam Sight staff team or the Liaison Officer at the Hospital Eye Clinic let us know when there is someone who is alone and would like a call. The service is a vital safety net it is a way of checking the most vulnerable people, often blind and older people living on their own remain safe and well. Should they have a fall or if anything happens to them, Cam Sight can make sure someone knows where they are and support them if needed. Many of those who have lost their sight and enjoy the company and human warmth of the Ring-Around call describe their monthly contact as a lifeline. Volunteers provide a network of peer support and information countywide The Cam Sight Rural Support Programme for visually impaired people provides 15 monthly groups in villages in Fenland, South and East Cambridgeshire and one in Cambridge City. The groups are supported by local volunteers and offer friendship; safety, health and other information; speakers; falls prevention; music; equipment; social support and referral to Cam Sight and other services. The groups received 1,788 visits in total from clients resident in 54 villages in and 680 visits by volunteers. In the next two slides, a volunteer speaks about his work and experiences of setting up a charity to support people in the Congo. He brings a range of cloths and artifacts for people to try on and pass around as enjoyed by others in the group in the following slide. Volunteers provide sports and leisure activities for health and social Five volunteers take visually impaired people tandem cycling every week; other activities including tennis, running, walking, rowing, visits to museums and galleries and audio described football matches. The following two slides show one of our regular tandem partnerships and one of five visually impaired people on tandems who completed the London to Cambridge Bike Ride for the second year running. Jerrys story Technology with speech, magnification and voice recognition supports every area of life: employment, education, communication, managing information, shopping and living independently. Jerry, Cam Sight Technology Lead provides assessment and training in computers, iPhones, iPads, SatNavs and scanners. Jerry himself has no sight and as such is a real inspiration to the people with sight loss he helps get and keep on-line 117 clients attended appointments for Technology training and advice in and regular support for new and returning clients continued to be provided by telephone. The next two slides show Jerry using speaking software and Jean, a visually impaired lady in Chatteris using a scanner in our Fenland office. Warrens story Warren is employed by Cam Sight as a Fundraising Ambassador, having been diagnosed with sight loss when he was 17 years old. Cam Sight has supported Warren ever since in a variety of ways and n Warrens words: Going to University is something I thought I would never do when I lost my sight but getting a 2-1 BA (Hons) degree in History is probably the thing I am most proud of. It was hard to master deadlines and exams but I gained touch typing skills through Cam Sight and a scanner to read course books and these helped me achieve this personal goal like no other in my life. Warren set up the Cam Sight Facebook page and supports Jerry in providing technology training as shown in the next slide: Ritas story Rita lives in Fenland and until 2007 worked in Cambridge. She was driving home from work when she had a haemorrhage behind her eye and never drove again. Her sight deteriorated rapidly and she had to give up work and in her words was devastated by her situation. Rita attended an Cam Sight emotional support group and said: I was devastated about my sight loss, but after coming to the group and meeting a variety of people and listening to their anxieties I realised there was hope. I also gained from the equipment and information about what was available to me. The most helpful aspect though was being able to share concerns and anxieties with people that understood. I definitely feel emotionally stronger from being part of the group - Ive stopped crying. Rita then helped Cam Sight set up and run a Low Vision Equipment Centre in Chatteris and was inspired to run her own group in Chatteris which she has led with other volunteers since She now supports the Emotional Support groups in Fenland and leads a follow-on group there. The slide shows Rita in the Chatteris Low Vision Centre she helped set up: Ryans story It is vital we support young people and their families from the beginning so they know that Cam Sight is there for them throughout their lives. Our children and young people services provide life-long skills and support for pre-school and primary school age children, teenagers and families. Ryan is an active ve year old who loves to play with his little sister. When he was 10 weeks old, Ryan was diagnosed with Ocular Albinism with Nystagmus and can now see very little. Ryan's Mum said: 'Cam Sight has supported Ryan since he was ve months old when we started going to their pre-school group. Ryan has a chance to play and interact with children with similar conditions. The group gives us parents the opportunity to meet, swap stories and give advice. I have met some amazing parents through Cam Sight who have helped us through the harder days. I am hugely grateful to Paula and Helen, the specialist staff from Cam Sight. Without their help and support, our son and all of us would still be struggling. The final slide shows Cam Sight teaching Ryan to find his way in the world. Sources 1.Access Economics Pty Limited, Future sight loss UK (1): The economic impact of partial sight and blindness in the UK adult population. RNIB, RNIB Sight loss data tool, Brown, M.M, G.C., Stein, J.D., Roth, Z., Campanella, J., Beauchamp, G.R., (2205) Age-related macular degeneration: economic burden and value- based medicine analysis, Can J Opthalmol 40: Mykletun A, Bjerkeset O, Overland S, et al. Levels of anxiety and depression as predictors of mortality: the HUNT study. Br J Psych, 195, , University of Reading, Ahmed A, Lefante CM, Alam N. Depression and nursing home admission among hospitalised older adults with coronary artery disease; a propensity score analysis. Am J Ger Cardiol, 16/2, 76-83, Vale, D. Unseen. Neglect, isolation & household poverty amongst older people with sight loss. RNIB, 2004. Thank youRegistered charity no