Health center offers free vision screenings, eyeglasses

February 23, 2010

Insurance companies and the economy have made it increasingly difficult for some individuals to afford the eye care they desperately need, which is why certain organizations step up to offer free services.

An eye care program sponsored by the Greene County Health Department in Tennessee recently provided vision screenings to 80 individuals who could otherwise not afford them, according to GreenvilleSun.com.

Participants who qualified received a free eye exam. Individuals who were found to have refractive errors were also given free eyeglasses that will be available in the coming weeks.

"All 80 patients fulfilled their appointments (to pick out their frames) on Saturday, which makes a strong statement about the visual needs that were served through the free clinic," Betty Weemes, executive director of the Laughlin Health Care Foundation, told the news provider.

Individuals who are over the age of 40 should have an eye care exam every year to check for vision problems such as cataracts, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. The risk for these conditions becomes greater with age, according to the American Optometric Association.