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A friend has reached the age where she doesn’t think as clearly as she used to. Recently when visiting, I noticed that both lens of her glasses are badly scratched. Most of the scratches are very fine but they cover the lens from top to bottom and side to side, creating a “mist” for her to look through. I’m not sure how the glasses are getting scratched and she can’t tell me, nor can her husband.
She’s still very active, working in her garden a lot and cleaning her house constantly, so she could be scratching her glasses during these activities, but she did not take her glasses off while doing these during my visit. I didn’t see any way her glasses could be getting scratched. Each night she may be placing them on a scratchy surface. Her husband may be able to help her with this, but he has his own thinking problems.
My question is what can be done for an active person who needs glasses but is not capable of protecting them from scratches and not capable of managing contacts?
BTW, her husband said the glasses are progressive and have a scratch-resistant coating. I’m not sure about the coating. I believe her glasses are plastic but not certain.
Another vote for Zenni optical online. She can get a new pair for a fraction of what she' pay elsewhere, even cheaper than Walmart. I'd stay away from any of the add-ons like coatings, etc. These are just overpriced up-sells. Especially for a senior who won't/can't care for them properly. Just help her to order a new pair from Zenni. They even have a way to virtually "try on" frames, if you can use a laptop cam to snap her pic.
I've been wearing real glass lenses for many many years (40+) and have yet to get one scratched. I did have a rock fly up once and hit one lens and put a pit in it, luckily I was wearing them or I may have lost an eye. Also for safety reasons they won't crack or shatter when wearing them if something flies up into the eye area.
I know others that wear the glass lenses too just for the reason that they don't scratch. It would take a diamond ring to scratch one. If someone is claiming their glass lens scratched then it would have to be some special coating on them that scratched, not the glass.
I tried the plastic lenses one time, 2 weeks later I was back to glass. The primary reason my doctor said that people wear plastic type is that they are lighter and you may have more frame choices.
Also if you have bad eyes the glass lenses can be very heavy and thick. They can do wonders with the plastic lenses so the coke bottle look isn't as bad.
There is a scratch resistant coating but no matter what -- after a couple of years -- you still have scratched up lenses....
I have worked as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician for several years and also worked as an optician. I wouldn't recommend glass lenses to an elderly person. A glass lens is heavy and can shatter. It is unlikely, but it is possible. Many labs don't even sell glass lenses anymore due to liability issues. Anti-reflective coatings are very useful if a person does a lot of driving at night. Glare does reduce a person's visual acuity a great deal but otherwise, it isn't necessary at all. I also don't recommend plastic lenses either because a scratch resistant coating is a must to reduce the incidence of scratches, especially if the person isn't vigilant about what she uses to clean the lenses. The best glasses lens to use is a polycarbonate lens. It is the strongest lens on the market, used for both kids and adults, doesn't require additional coatings for scratch resistance, is lightweight, and has excellent optical properties. The best item to use to clean the lens is a soft microfiber cloth. Don't use Kleenexes, paper towels, or the edge of your stinky shirt. You don't have to buy that expensive spray lens cleaner either; a little mild hand soap and water does the job just fine.
The Shadow, thanks for your vote for Zenni; I’m tallying them. I think your suggestion to stay away from any of the add-ons like coatings, etc. is likely the way to go.
Tallysmom, I agree that after a couple of years, my friend will have scratched lens. Fortunately, she can afford to replace her glasses even more frequently. The problem is that she cannot manage replacing them herself and her husband had not replaced them - thus my attempt to find the best ways to prevent scratches. I want to find the best ways to prevent scratches and combine these with asking her and her husband about the condition of her glasses on a regular basis. I hope this works so that her glasses are never allowed to become so scratched again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scooby Snacks
I have worked as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician for several years and also worked as an optician. I wouldn't recommend glass lenses to an elderly person. A glass lens is heavy and can shatter. It is unlikely, but it is possible. Many labs don't even sell glass lenses anymore due to liability issues. Anti-reflective coatings are very useful if a person does a lot of driving at night. Glare does reduce a person's visual acuity a great deal but otherwise, it isn't necessary at all. I also don't recommend plastic lenses either because a scratch resistant coating is a must to reduce the incidence of scratches, especially if the person isn't vigilant about what she uses to clean the lenses. The best glasses lens to use is a polycarbonate lens. It is the strongest lens on the market, used for both kids and adults, doesn't require additional coatings for scratch resistance, is lightweight, and has excellent optical properties. The best item to use to clean the lens is a soft microfiber cloth. Don't use Kleenexes, paper towels, or the edge of your stinky shirt. You don't have to buy that expensive spray lens cleaner either; a little mild hand soap and water does the job just fine.
Scooby Snacks, thank you so very, very much for your answer. It's great to hear from a professional in this area. I particularly appreciate your recommendation for polycarbonate lens, which I didn't know about. Surprises me that they don't require additional coatings for scratch resistance. And I'm delighted to hear they are the strongest lens on the market, are lightweight, and have excellent optical properties. They definitely sound like the best solution for my friend's situation. I'm planning to follow up on this right away.
My friend doesn't drive at night so it sounds like the lack of an anti-glare coating won't be a problem for her. The cleaning of her glasses remains a problem. I'm working on that.
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