MABVI Opens First Low Vision Center in Berkshire County

MABVI has opened the first low vision center in Berkshire County to provide functional low vision assessments at a static site. This new site is located at Optical Care Associates in the Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield. There, optometrist Dr. Charles Mandel provides specialized examinations for those who are coping with vision loss to help them better understand the extent of their remaining vision and how best to maximize it in order to live full and confident lives and remain as independent as possible.

A functional low vision assessment is very different from a regular eye exam. The optometrist will ask the patient what they could do before their vision loss that they cannot do now, but would like to be able to do again. Then they work out how the patient can achieve that goal, or come as close to it as possible, depending on the circumstances. Most patients’ goals center on remaining independent in their homes and being able to engage in activities of daily living, such as reading.

Until now, low vision exams in Berkshire County have only been available through the New England Eye mobile eye clinic, and this service was only available to people who were registered as legally blind. Now, with this expansion of services, residents can have a functional vision assessment much earlier on in the progression of their eye disease. This gives them more opportunities to learn compensatory strategies to cope with vision loss while they still have enough functional vision to work with.

“We are very excited to be able to meet this need,” says Shaun Kinsella, MABVI’s Statewide Director. “80% of people who lose their sight are over the age of 70. Until now, if you lived in the Berkshires and had low vision, you had to travel all the way to Springfield or Holyoke to receive this kind of exam. People, especially older individuals, don’t want to travel that kind of distance for an eye appointment. This new center opens up doors and possibilities for so many more people. MABVI either operates or is partnered with fourteen low vision centers throughout Massachusetts, and we are so happy that we can now offer this service in Berkshire County.”

After the examination, patients may receive a referral for in-home vision rehabilitation from one of MABVI’s Occupational Therapists, who will travel to a patient’s home to help them learn how to use their remaining vision in their own environment. They may also be recommended assistive technology, which could include a magnifier, an iPad, or a reading machine. MABVI’s occupational therapists train new users on how to use this technology.

“At MABVI, our goal is to help individuals with vision loss to remain as independent and active in their communities as possible,” says Kinsella. “Through these services, we can now provide those in Berkshire County who have low vision with the support they need to maintain their quality of life in their own homes or living situations.”

MABVI’s low vision examinations are available to anyone with vision loss and the cost is covered by insurance. To schedule a functional low vision assessment with Dr. Mandel, call MABVI at (888) 613-2777.

Learn more about this new location in this article from the Berkshire Eagle: Berkshire’s first low-vision care center opens at Allendale Shopping Center.