It's nearly the financial year end so everyone is having stock-take sales - not as many as in the past as everyone seems to be doing deals all the time. Value-for-money has always been our practice belief - and we do special off older frames, still warranteed but we know that there are unlikely to be parts available. Lenses are ordered for a specific patient, so are not "floor stock" so are unlikely to be on "special" unless the wholesaler is trying to promote a particular product or service (for example, Optifog has been added free to some progressive lenses in February and March as a launch benefit).

The other thing about "year end" is that people "forget" about booking eye appointments. Christmas, tax time, "after we get back from our trip", "once the visitors leave" are all reasons that I've heard for people delaying their routine eye exams. I suppose the same thing happens to dentists, and maybe doctors too. But I suppose that people are more motivated to see their GP regularly as the medicines run out! Bit of a hint when there are no more pilss left!

We encourgae patients to return for regular eye exams - and discuss at the time when we would like to see them again. The recall appointment can be anywhere from 6 months to three years - there is no "standard" as it is to benefit each individual. We believe that each person is unique and although many people are happy with generic products, generic service is never the best (even when it strives to be really good). So we can offer packages, but prefer to offer these only to people who would benefit. Ans not everyone wants to be seen in town with the same frame as six others!

The races went well!

Well, the weather was lovely, the horses ran well, out 1400m race was excting (and a well-deserved win). The connections said he'd been unlucky before, so it mushr have been his day.

We have had some feedback from having a presence at Otaki. A couple of patients saw our ad, and commented that they didn't see me there (we were in the marquee village) so we had a good chat about the day.

We have had a quieter year with the free-sunglasses-for-new-entrants than ever before. Maybe it's because we had a lot of cloud and parents didn't think of taking up the offer. But the frames on offer were really nice and about 25 local boys and girls are looking sharp in their new shades.

There are always new and excting frames on offer from the reps, and the newest lens techology is Optifog, and we are getting some really poistive comments about that. At your next lens change, be sure to ask about it, as it is a really useful feature to add to the lesn coating. Definitely not a "solution looking for a problem"...mind you, I said that texting was a "solution looking for a problem" and I was wrong.

Going to the Races

In trying to connect with more people around our local area, and because Tim and I love racing (watched the movie "Secretariat" last night), wehave decided to sponsor a race at the Otaki Maori racing club meeting at Otaki this Saturday 25 February.

If it's sunny (not that the forecast says it will be), everyone will be out in force in hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. If not, inside wearing raincoats and fewer happy smiles. However, binoculars to watch the action will still be the order of the day.

I will have my Transitions lenses, if it's a dull day as they will be clear unless the clouds break, when they will darken. And my Convertibles frame with clipon sunglasses in case the Met Service is wrong. All set.

I know that I am lucky enough to have several pairs of spectacles for different uses, but in many cases, a clear or Transtions pair isn't quite dark enough (especially behind the windscreen of a car) and having just a dark pair is too limiting when you walk inside or at night.

And it's fun to wear something a bit different - high heels, fascinator, racewear, elegant but fun sunwear....or a rain coat and something "practical". And happy smiles if my $1.00 investment comes in!

Computers and glasses

Most of us are using a computer now - at work or for leisure. Those of us with long memories can remember monochrome screens with bright green text and data entry workers with sore eyes, headaches and inability to work comfortably. Now the colours are better, the contrast isn't so shocking and most patients with binocular vision problems have these detected before they get a 9-5, Mon-Fri job.

Computers don't cause visual problems but can show up ones that are latent in "everyday life". If your eyes don't co-ordinate well, or you have a slight visual prescription, using a computer will be between harder than it is for your colleagues to impossible. As more of us use computers, this can be shown up as early as primary school, so these people can be helped before they get put off reading or screen use.

Sometimes visual training can be a help. Other times changing the work-station (for example, eliminating glare from the screen or a reflection seen in it) can help. Some people just need a mild visual aid (spectacles for example) while using the machine for a prolonged time. Your optometrist can advise you.

There are modern lens designs for people who use computers. Bifocals (again, those of us wotrking in the 80's) were often a problem on the screen due to head-up screens and the dividing line came across the screen - not to mention that the reading part was focussed too close for the screen and the distance part too far...Progressive lenses were a great improvement as they gave clear vision on the screen (as well as the text to be imput - it was the 80's, remember) and bank officers could still see their customers in the queue...And now we have lenses designed for the way we use computers now, with wider clear areas for the wider screens, some closer-focussed parts for desk work and a range of options for the top part of the lens depending on a person's prescription and visual needs.

Computers are being designed to give better human-machine interfaces. Lenses are being designed to also hep the human in the system. See Winnie or me at your next exam to discuss your needs on the computer, and remember, what was modern 3-5 years ago has been superceeded now.

Summer in February

Well, after a few days of sunshine I am impressed to remember how many people I have seen wearing sunglasses. At the Paekakariki Waitagi day celebrations, very few of the crowd hadn't "slipped, slopped, slapped and wrapped".

Hopefully all the sunglasses, like the sunscreen lotions, met the Australian/New Zealand standards for UV protection. Dark tinted lenses that don't block UV can be more of a problem to the eyes than no glasses at all, as the pupils enlarge behind a tinted lens and this lets in more UV to the eye (and there is evidence that cumulative lifetime exposure to UV causes cataracts in the lens and retinal changes at the back of the eye).

I think I have said it before, but getting a cheap frame that can't be adjusted leaves the sour taste of poor quality long after the sweetness of the cheap price is forgotten. Paying a little more, and getting something robust and that can be adjusted, makes sense - unless you want to replace broken glasses several times a season! And we have patients that tell us that - they don't want to spend a lot because they go through several pairs - I always wonder why they don't spend a little more, take more care with them and have them last a year or two!

Brand names always cost more (unless they are parallel imported - where there might be no support interms of parts - or "copies"). It is buyer beware, even with the Consume Guarantees' Act. Our practice likes to sell value for money product - should last several seasons and still look good. I'd love to have a practice that could sell hundreds of high-fashion sunglasses each year, but Kapiti is too small a market.

So I'm happy to provide good quality products and excellent service - and know that patients will be happy with their choice for years...not days.

Dispensing Opticians

Well, Winnie is back in Borneo for lunar (Chinese) New Year with her family and friends. So I am seeing my patients for full, FULL-service optometry.

Having a DO around is great. Winnie knows her stuff and has a really good eye as to what suits a patient. And because she is younger than I am, she is a little more on-trend - I do "classics"!

The hardest part of dispensing again is the advancement in lens designs in the past 3 years since she's been with me. Essilor is a very innovative company, so they release what is really a quantum leap in technology every 2-3 years, with a whole new philosphy of design, and I am having to research these. I trust Essilor that they all work, but some lenses are designed for improved near vision at the expense of arm's length (or vice versa) and that is the sort of detail that you need to know to advise a patient on lens design.

This morning I received a visit from the local Essilor rep - they have released Optifog, a new anti-fog treatment for lenses (it needs to be applied at the time of manufacture - it's not a retro-fit product) and a new lens design (well, new to me) that is great for someone who needs good near and computer distance, but not compromising their distance vision. Nikon Home and Office sounds great!

I am looking forward to Winnie's return in April with all of her traveller's tales. But in the meantime, I am re-learning the dispensing part of my profession. Dispensing opticians are our sister profession, and have an advanced skill-set in dispensing compared to most optometrists, but I am lucky that I get the fun of doing both.

Welcome to 2012!

Well, we're well into 2012 now - nearly two weeks gone already - and we have been back at work for 3 days. Good to be back.





We have had several patients who broke their glasses over the break, and in one case she had no spare as that had been broken a few weeks before Christmas too! How many spare pairs does one person need?





I hope that you had a relaxing break, as I did, pottering in the garden and reading. Also worked on upping my store of Vitamin D (working on a tan sounds so 1970's).





Hopefully 2012 will be way less challenging than 2011 (or 2010) was. We are already seeing patients who had recalls in either of those years coming in for exams. Everybody knows that that "the buck stops here" with health - no-one will look after you better than you do yourself, and there is a substantial amount of research saying that as folk get older, poor visual and dental health are correlated with poor health in general. We all can "see" that if you see poorly, you are more at risk of falls and falls and broken bones are strongly related to early death or loss of life quality at the very least.





So, lifelong eye care is a good thing. New Year's resolution - book an eye exam if you haven't had one within the last 3 years.

Christmas Closure

We are open again on Monday 9 January 2012

May your holiday season decorated with love and happiness.

From Annette and Winnie

Our Christmas Decoration's Up. How about you?

Christmas light will be on next week onwards.

K9 visitor today , Benson waited patiently for owner selecting her sunglasses.

Buy genuine, buy quality

With Adidas offering a 2 year guarantee on its children's frames, I thought I should mention again that quality never goes out of style, that value lasts and that the bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweetness of the cheap price is forgotten.

Some bargains are great - I'm a big fan of buying shoes in the sales - but you need to realise that "bargain" isn't always the same as "cheap". Ends of line are of good quality, stock clearance is a valid reason to special off goods, manufactures or distributors trying to clear stock, all can give you great quality at great prices. But these will all be covered by NZ law (especially the CGA) and you will be made aware at the time of purchase if parts are unlikely to be available. Then buy at your own risk, but be aware that most business will still want you as an on-going customer and will try to help out if something happens.

Parallel imports and buying on-line (from overseas or from a private individual) are not covered in the same way.

We know that patients have told us that they can get this brand on-line at such and such a price. Great - but is it a colour still available in NZ? Is it a discontinued model? Is it genuine? (We know about the re-branded contact lenses or the actual fakes available on line with "slightly odd" packaging.....)

You might pay more for genuine products, but you have a relationship with the trader who will do her best to solve any problems that arise. Some good brands do have the odd "Monday morning" frame - and these become obvious quickly and will be replaced with no dramas. But some product is of such poor quality that it is just no point putting good lenses in it, trying to adjust it, trying to repair it if it breaks....caveat emptor.