Availability of eye care services in Missouri nursing homes.

Purpose: Residents of nursing homes do not have the same access to health care as do other elderly persons. Some sources have indicated that only 20% of nursing home residents in the United States ever receive eye care services in the nursing home. We sought to determine the availability of eye care services in Missouri nursing homes.

Method: A survey was mailed to all licensed nursing homes in the State of Missouri (1,199). The survey inquired about the type of nursing facility, their location, and types of medical care and eye care provided at their institution. Information was also requested regarding the number of patients eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party coverage. A 6-week period was allowed for responses.

Results: A response rate of 26.86% was obtained. Larger facilities were more likely to provide services than smaller facilities, and skilled nursing facilities were more likely to provide services than residential care facilities. Overall, 73% of the responding facilities provided some type of eye care services, as compared with 81% providing medical care. However, only 21% of nursing facilities have any type of regular schedule for provision of these services. Approximately 40% of the nursing homes without eye care services were interested in adding those services within a year, while half of those were not interested in adding them for their patients.

Conclusions: Eye care services are available for many Missouri nursing home patients, but there is a lack of understanding as to how those services can be used. This can have considerable impact in meeting the health care needs of these patients, as well as enhancing the quality of life.