Li's Vision Van

12:00a.m. 9th October 2008

| By Nathan Woulfe

Marjorie Boland has her eyes tested for macular degeneration by Vision Van optometrist Li Chen. Photo: Michaela O’Neill/ 178749

They say you should never take your work home with you.

But what if work and home are one and the same – in this case, a Winnebago camper?

For the next nine weeks, optometrist Li Chen will be touring regional Australia in the Vision Van – her temporary home and clinic.

Providing free screenings for over-50s, Ms Chen is on the lookout for age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in over-50s. It is characterised by a loss of vision at the centre of the visual field.

She is travelling 14,000-odd kilometres on her journey, which is scheduled to end in Western Australia on December 20.

Ms Chen sees around 25 patients a day, and said she expected to find one in seven displaying signs of the incurable disease.

She left Sydney on September 20, but the cramped living and working conditions haven’t got to her yet.

“Eventually, maybe (they will), but it’s also a bit of a holiday and a chance to see some of the countryside,” she said.

Patient Marjorie Boland left the van yesterday with a clean bill of health. Despite vision problems in the past, she isn’t suffering from macular degeneration.

“In 2000 I went to the optometrist and he said I was legally blind, because my left eye was very bad with cataracts,” she said.

“I’ve worn glasses since I was 14 ... today I’m 100%, top of the class.”

That could be due to some simple lifestyle choices, which Ms Chen said could help prevent the disease.

“Unfortunately there is no cure, but early detection and treatment can help to prevent future loss and slow the progression,” she said.

“Simple lifestyle changes like lots of green vegetables, fish three times a week, a handful of nuts and quitting smoking can really help.”

Today is World Sight Day, a global awareness-raising day which draws attention to eye health and vision care.

A survey commissioned by Sight Day organisers Vision 2020 Australia found that nearly half of Australians did not know that vision loss was preventable.