Ron, As far as marketing, find out if there are any optometrists in your area that are doing low vision rehabilitation. This will be your referral source and you can market to them as being a potential return referral source (i.e. referring your patients that need a low vision optometrist - I didn't invent this term it is what they call themselves).
You could market yourself to home health agencies. Diabetics with visual impairment cost home care agencies quite a bit to provide their care. If there isn't a viable caregiver to check CBGs and provide injections, the home care agency is required to do visits, sometimes twice or more a day, to provide this service. An OT can help by introducing the patient to compensatory strategies and equipment that may make them independent in diabetes management. This benefits the home care agency by lowering there costs and increasing the profit from whatever HHRG level is established. Another way to garner referrals is to do presentations at assistive living buildings and other sources of potential patients. This could involve a vision screening, however rules associated with offering screenings are getting stricter. The only hard sell is that the majority of the adaptive equipment and optics for visual insufficiency are not covered by Medicare. Many of my patients have difficulty affording equipment that may be helpful. On a brighter side, you can explore the normal sources we all use to get adaptive equipment for patients. You can also explore with them free sources of assistance within the environment like radio reading services, books on tape from the National Library Service and directory/dial assistance. There is also the Assistive Technology Fund of the Association of Blind Citizens which can be viewed at www.blindcitizens.org Jimmie -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Carmen Aguirre Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 3:23 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re[2]: [OTlist] Low Vision Rehab Hi Ron What is AOTA not doing about low vision rehab? Carmen ----- Original Message ----- From: Ron Carson<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Jimmie Arceneaux<mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 10:56 AM Subject: Re[2]: [OTlist] Low Vision Rehab Well, while visiting CMS' web site, I noticed a document about OT and low vision rehab. I thought, wow, this is something I could/should be doing in my practice. I want to know about marketing strategies... On a second note, CMS is doing a 5-year pilot of low vision rehab. I can't figure out why AOTA isn't really hyping this up. This seems like a great opportunity for OT to possibly really shine! I know that AOTA is big on driver rehab, and while not wanting to take away from that initiative, it is NOT currently reimbursable by Medicare. Chuck, what are your feelings? Thanks, Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: Jimmie Arceneaux <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subj: [OTlist] Low Vision Rehab JA> Hey Ron, JA> I have been adding low vision interventions to my practice for JA> about 3 years. In fact, I started and did the training for a low JA> vision program at the home care agency I work. JA> Why are you asking? JA> Jimmie JA> -----Original Message----- JA> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] JA> Behalf Of Ron Carson JA> Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 6:31 AM JA> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> JA> Subject: [OTlist] Low Vision Rehab JA> Hello: JA> Is anyone doing low vision rehab? JA> Thanks, JA> Ron JA> -- JA> Unsubscribe? JA> [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> JA> Change options? 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