Suzanne Roberts of The Macular Society talks about the emotional effects of macular degeneration, both before the pandemic and effects the pandemic may have had on peoples lives.
00:00 – Start
00:31 – Introduction
01:39 – Suzanne Introduction
02:29 – About the Counselling Service
03:09 – How to Access the Counselling Service
03:32 – How the Counselling Service Works
05:30 – Eligibility to use the Counselling Service
06:38 – Emotional Impact of DIagnosis
08:27 – Impact of the Pandemic
09:50 – Other issues in addition to Macular Degeneration
10:20 – Types of People Accessing the Service
13:58 – Common Themes in Living with Sight Loss
14:39 – Shock and Fear
15:52 – Denial
16:31 – Anger
17:02 – Dispair
17:35 – Acceptance
19:17 – Client Experience – Diagnosis
20:37 – Importance of Emotional Support at Diagnosis
22:08 – Outcome of the Case Study
23:19 – Discussion
23:31 – Experience of Bad Diagnosis
25:22 – Experiences of Telephone Appointments
27:16 – Not allowing companions into appointments
29:13 – Accessing Community Optician Services
29:43 – Visiting Hospitals when Clinically Extreamly Vulnerable
30:46 – Followup Appointments
33:26 – Invisible Disabilities
34:38 – Positive Experience of prompt treatment
39:54 – Making people aware of early signs of AMD
43:11 – Dietary Considerations
47:38 – How to get a referral
47:54 – Macular Helpline No
49:37 – Outro
