As many of us are staying home to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, we want you to know that we are still here to keep yours and your families eyes healthy.

To make these uncertain times a little easier for you, we now have the ability to offer telemedicine video visits.  This means that you don’t have to feel left out to dry for your eye concerns during COVID-19  -- there are other options.

A telemedicine visit allows you to see your Roberts Eyecare optometrist in real time using video chat technology, similar to FaceTime or Skype.  The best part?  You don’t even have to leave the comfort and safety of your house.

We are offering telemedicine video visits for a wide range of eye concerns including:

  • Red Eye
  • Styes
  • Itchy Watery Eyes
  • Eye Pain

Any situation can be assessed during a video chat and if necessary, we can schedule you for an in-office appointment if warranted.

We’re here to help you any concerns that you might have regarding your eye health. (While you stay safe at home).

To schedule a video appointment with one of our optometrists, call us at 607-722-2020 in Vestal or at 607-563-7551 in Sidney.

Be well, stay healthy and safe.

  • Your Optometrists at Roberts Eyecare

Did you order new glasses and think just because of COVID-19 that you can’t pick them up? 

Not True

We are offering free curb side pickup of your new glasses from 9-4 M-F during the pandemic.  Simply call us when you are outside or come up to the door and ring our door bell.  Give your name and one of our New York State licensed opticians will deliver your new glasses to you. 

Although we are not able to adjust your glasses at this time, rest assured that your new glasses have been checked for the proper prescription, cleaned, disinfected and bench aligned.  In most cases, this is all it takes for your new glasses to fit correctly. 

Don’t wait for the stay at home order to be lifted.  Simply swing by, give us a call and get your new glasses today.

Stay tuned for more information as it become available.

 

 Many major news outlets have released stories in the past few weeks reporting that contact lens wear increases the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. As your primary eye care providers we want you to know that there is no current evidence showing that contact lens wearers have higher risk of contracting coronavirus.

 

However, now is a good time to review some of the basics of essential contact lens hygiene:
  • Always wash hands thoroughly before inserting and removing your contact lenses.
  • Replace your lenses as prescribed by your eye doctor.
  • Always use fresh contact lens cleaning and storage solution (never top off the solution in your contact lens case).
  • Discontinue lens wear if feeling unwell, especially if experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms.
The following are some good questions to ask yourself when wearing your contact lenses:
  1. How do my eyes feel?
  2. How do my eyes look?
  3. How is my vision?
There should be no discomfort, redness, or unusual blurriness of vision in either eye while wearing your contact lenses. If you are experiencing any of those issues remove your contact lenses and call your eye doctor. Roberts Eyecare Associates has implemented a telehealth system that will allow us to provide remote evaluation, decreasing the risk COVID-19 spread. In-person evaluations may be scheduled if deemed necessary by your eye doctor.

 

The following resources provide further information regarding contact lens wear and COVID-19.
American Optometric Association
 
Centre for Ocular Research and Education
 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Frequently Asked Questions: See section titled How to Protect Yourself
 

Nearly 100 million Americans are currently living with diabetes or prediabetes, according to the recent centers for disease control (CDC) report. Diabetes is a serious health condition and it is important to know what it is and how to fight it.Type 1 diabetes means your body no longer makes enough insulin, while type 2 diabetes means your body no longer uses insulin properly. Remember that uncontrolled diabetes could lead to serious conditions like diabetic foot ulcer, kidney failure, and bleeding behind the eye, called diabetic retinopathy.During a pandemic like the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to forget to eat healthy, exercise regularly, take your medications and check your blood sugar level frequently. We encourage you to keep up the fight against the complications of diabetes.

 

Our Doctors at Roberts Eyecare Associates want you to know that we are here to take care of your visual needs. If you have a recent change in your vision, it may be a sign of drastic swings in your blood sugar level. Do not hesitate to give us a call. Our Doctors can hold a Telemedicine visit with you or we can bring you in for a quick check up if it is necessary.  Please give us a call at (607) 722-2020 in our Vestal Office or (607) 563-7551 in our Sidney Office.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 threat, Roberts Eyecare has been following the CDC guidelines to help keep our patients and doctors and staff as safe as possible.  Recently, the CDC issued the recommendation to delay non-urgent eye care appointments for at least the next several weeks.  We believe that following this recommendation is the best thing we can do for the health and well-being of our community. 

 

The American Optometric Association urges patients with any eye problems to contact our Doctors of Optometry in order to alleviate burdens on emergency departments, walk-in clinics and urgent care facilities.  Doctors of Optometry are the front line providers of eye essential care.

 

Beginning on Monday, March 23, our office will be open with modified office hours:
 Monday – Friday 8:00 - 4:30.  We will be seeing urgent eye emergencies by appointment only. If you have questions or concerns, please call our office.

 

Beginning Monday, March 23, we will be rescheduling all non-urgent eye care appointments.  If you have an eye emergency, please call our office and one of our optometrists will be able to see you by appointment.

 

If you need emergency repair or replacement of your only pair of glasses, or if you need a supply of contact lenses to get you through until your next eye health exam, we will be happy to help.  Our optical will remain open during this time. Contact lens orders may be shipped directly to your house or picked up long as we are able to do so.

 

Thank you for trusting Roberts Eyecare and know that we are here as a resource for you during these challenging times. Everyone – please stay safe and healthy and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Roberts Eyecare Associate’s COVID-19 Telemedicine Information
The American Optometric Association has urged patients with any eye problems to contact Doctors of Optometry in order to reduce the burden on Emergency rooms, walk-in clinics and urgent care facilities.  Doctors of Optometry are the front line providers of essential eye care.

 

At Roberts Eyecare, we are committed to following the guidance of the CDC and Governor Cuomo to temporarily halt routine patient care in an effort to do our part in complying with Social Distancing.  However, we do take our responsibility seriously to care for our patient’s emergency and urgent eye care needs or to simply refill your current prescription for eye drops.

 

At Roberts Eyecare, we are here and ready to assist you with all your emergency and urgent eye care needs through the use of Telemedicine for first line triage.  Our doctors have the ability to view your eyes through the use of video chat on your smartphone.  Simply give our office a call and have one of our essential staff members get you in touch with one of our doctors of optometry.

 

We will provide you with our best diagnosis through video chat and if the need arises to have you seen in the office, we can set up a time to do that also.  If you have red eyes from allergies or unexplained reasons, a sty, if your eye lids are swollen or red or there is a sudden change in your vision including flashes of light or floaters, or if you have any other concerns that need to be addressed, please give us a call at (607) 722-2020 in Vestal or (607) 563-7551 in Sidney.

 

Thank you for trusting us with all your eye care needs now and in the future.
 
Stay healthy and safe.

To Our Valued Glaucoma Patients, Here at Roberts Eyecare we want to ensure that you have all of your eye related needs met in these trying times. Optometrists are considered to be the front-line resource for ocular health. If you are a glaucoma patient of ours and need any refills on your drops please let us know as we do not want your ocular health to go on the back burner during this crisis. We can also take care of any other prescription refills that you might need for your eyes. We want to let you know that we are available Monday-Friday from 9am-4pm in both our Vestal and Sidney locations. We also have a doctor on call outside of business hours. Please feel free to give us a call with any concerns. Please stay safe and be careful.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Roberts Eyecare is here to fill any contact lens order that you are in need of.  If your current prescription is from our office, or if you, your family or friends have a copy of their current contact lens prescription from another office, we are able to order for you or may have them in stock. 2 or more boxes are shipped to your home with free shipping. 

 

Please call our office: (607) 722-2020 Monday – Friday, between 9-4, and let us help you during these trying times.

 

Thank you and stay safe.