There are various kinds of pressure-lowering eye drops used in the treatment of glaucoma. All the drugs used in them have standard pharmaceutical names, which are not trade names. If your drops are only labelled with the names of the drug or drugs they contain, they are said to be ‘generic’. However, many drops are better known by their trade name, chosen by the company that developed the drug and have the patent. There are certain glaucoma drops where use in children is restricted (please see our booklet Glaucoma in Babies and Children). Generic substitutes for branded drops That the use of telecare equipment may tend to encourage a one-sided focus on an individual’s problems and not on their existing strengths. Look at the layout of furniture – you may be able to create a safer space by rearranging or reducing the furniture in a room; Losing keys is a common problem, but having a set place to keep them may provide a solution. There are also electronic tags that can be attached to keys to help someone to find them when they have been mislaid within the home. The electronic tag is activated by pressing a button on a transmitter remote control, and will bleep.

If you need two different types of medication, using a combination drop can have advantages over using two separate drops. It saves both time and having to keep two different bottles. It also means that you deliver less preservative into your eye, which may reduce the possibility of developing an allergic reaction to the preservatives. For patients who pay for their prescriptions, only one prescription charge is levied for a combination drop. Different categories of drops Some people have difficulty remembering the day of the week and the time of day, i.e. seven in the morning or seven in the evening, especially in the summer months when there are more daylight hours. Also, confusion can arise in the winter months when the evenings draw in early – it can be dark at 5pm, but it is not bedtime. Sometimes it helps to do things as you go along, for example keep a ‘running’ shopping list so that as you finish items they are added to the list.Sits perfectly over the eye. Delivers eye drop in the exact place first time improving patient compliance. Use equipment that is designed to provide support, such as grab rails and walking aids, rather than leaning on fixtures, such as door handles and towel rails;

Autodrop is specially designed to overcome the difficulties experienced by many when administering eyedrops. Developed in collaboration with the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB). Autodrop is suitable for a wide variety of eyedrop medication containers, and enables an increased number of users to successfully self-administer their medication and complete their course of treatment without assistance.A key safe is a secure metal box that stores a key, and is designed to be mounted outside by the front door. The safe is opened by a numeric code that must be punched in. A single copy of your key/s are placed inside but can only be retrieved by someone who knows the correct code to open the box. It is up to you who you give the code to and you can change the code as often as you like. Choosing a code made up of familiar numbers, such as a birth date can help someone with memory difficulties to remember it. A key safe provides a useful way of giving access to the home to regular callers, such as carers and relatives, and also provides a ‘spare’ should the homeowner leave the house without the key. The nature of your disability, for example is it progressive, or do your needs fluctuate with 'good' and 'bad' days. How might technology help with this?

Important dates, such as birthdays and doctors appointments, written down at a central point of reference such as a white board.SimplyTouch. This device is a small, reusable handheld applicator with a tiny disc at the top, onto which a drop is placed; surface tension keeps the drop in place. One side of the disc has no rim; the other has a rim to help less viscous drops stay on the disc. The patient places a drop onto the plastic applicator, pulls down the lower lid while looking in a mirror, brings the tip of the applicator close to the eye, and the drop jumps onto the eye. Advertised features include that the device can be used with or without glasses on, and that the device is easy to clean and store after use. Because it’s easier for the patient to control the drop usage, the manufacturer claims that patients get up to 50 percent more uses per bottle. You can learn more at simplytouchusa.com.