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Treatment & referrals
Treatment & referrals
June 04, 2026
An optometrist who works in vision care for seniors can:
- Diagnose and treat glaucoma with prescribed medication
- Order lab tests for diagnosis or treatment of eye disease
- Prescribe glasses or contact lenses
- Provide vision therapy
If you are diagnosed with a serious/advanced eye disease, an optometrist will refer you to a specialist (ophthalmologist) depending on the needed treatment.
Low-vision devices
Your optometrist may recommend low-vision treatment options to help you with your vision impairment. These devices and products include:
- Magnifiers (hand-held, wearable, or stand)
- Miniature telescopes
- Text-to-speech readers
- Video magnifiers that enlarge, brighten, or increase the contrast in video displays
Your optometrist can give you options for a variety of adaptive technologies and products capable of helping seniors maintain independence with vision loss.
You may also be referred to low-vision rehabilitation services. These specialized low-vision professionals work with older adults to maintain or improve quality of life with impaired vision.

