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Our data showed that an appreciable proportion (37.3%) of older residents with dementia also have VI, and that VI can be corrected in many by updating their refraction. Others could potentially be helped through cataract surgery. It is therefore important to offer regular eye care services to those residents, knowing that many are not able to express their visual needs.

Background We recently reported that convergence insufficiency (CI)‐type visual symptomatology was more prevalent in participants with Parkinson's disease (PD), compared to controls. The objective of this work was to determine the prevalence of a confirmed clinical diagnosis of CI in PD, compared to controls. Methods Participants with (n = 80) and without (n = 80) PD were recruited and received an eye exam. Published criteria were used to arrive at a clinical diagnosis of CI. The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS‐15) questionnaire was administered to each participant, with a score of ≥21 being considered positive for CI symptomatology. Student t test, chi‐square, or nonparametric tests at the 0.05 level were used for statistical significance. Results A total of 43.8% of participants with versus 16.3% without PD had a clinical diagnosis of CI (P ≤ 0.001). A total of 53.8% of participants with versus 18.8% without PD had scores on the CISS‐15 of ≥21 (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions These results indicate that individuals with PD have a higher prevalence of CI and CI symptomatology than controls. These data provide evidence supporting the notion that treatment for symptomatic CI should be investigated in individuals with PD.

The results indicate that the tool was successful at identifying older individuals with dementia needing an eye examination.