What is domiciliary eye care?
Domiciliary eye care — domiciliary optometry delivered by a domiciliary optician at your address — is a full eye test carried out where you live rather than in a high-street practice. “Domiciliary” simply means “at home”: the same clinical sight test you would have in an optician’s consulting room, brought to your living room, bedroom or care home with portable equipment.
What a domiciliary eye test includes
A domiciliary eye test — sometimes called a domiciliary sight test — covers the same assessments as a practice appointment. Randy Bains brings portable equipment to measure your vision, update your glasses prescription, examine the health of your eyes, and check eye pressure where appropriate.
The word domiciliary appears on NHS paperwork and in care plans; it simply describes eye care delivered at the patient's address. Whether you search for a domiciliary optician, a domiciliary optometrist or a home-visiting optician, the clinical standard is the same.
Most visits take 40 to 60 minutes. We explain each step in plain language and adapt the pace if you tire easily or need more time. For a walkthrough of the appointment from start to finish, see what to expect at a home eye test.
You receive a written prescription after the test. There is no obligation to buy glasses from us, though many patients value having frames chosen, supplied, delivered and fitted at home.
A relative or carer is welcome to stay in the room. We can repeat instructions, write down key points, and adjust the order of tests if someone has dementia, hearing loss or finds the process tiring.
Who domiciliary eye care is for
Domiciliary eye care suits anyone who cannot get to a high-street optician safely or comfortably. That includes people who cannot leave home unaccompanied because of physical or mental illness or disability, care home residents, and people with dementia or limited mobility. It is also used when someone is recovering from illness or surgery and temporary travel to a practice is not practical.
Regular domiciliary sight tests help pick up changing prescriptions and eye conditions that might otherwise be missed if appointments are postponed. Most adults are advised to have an eye test every two years unless their optometrist recommends otherwise.
Families and carers often search for a domiciliary optician or domiciliary optometrist when a parent’s sight has changed but travel to a practice feels unrealistic. If the patient is older and mainly needs help at home, our guide to eye tests at home for the elderly may also be useful.
Referrers such as GPs, district nurses and social prescribers sometimes suggest domiciliary eye care when a patient has missed several practice appointments. You do not need a referral from your GP to book — call us directly and we will talk through the options.
Is it funded by the NHS?
An NHS-funded domiciliary sight test is available when the patient is entitled to an NHS sight test and cannot leave home unaccompanied because of physical or mental illness or disability. We check both parts before booking — see NHS home eye test eligibility for the full criteria.
When NHS funding does not apply, you can still book a private domiciliary eye test for £75. The examination and equipment are the same. Read about private home eye tests if you can leave home but prefer a visit for convenience. Our home eye test cost guide explains who pays what, including help with glasses through NHS optical vouchers where eligible.
Evening and weekend domiciliary visits are available at no extra cost — see weekend and evening appointments. Return to the home eye tests overview for NHS and private routes.
Being entitled to a free NHS sight test — for example because you are aged 60 or over — is only one part of the rules. The patient must also meet the housebound criteria above for the home visit itself to be NHS-funded. We confirm both before any appointment is booked.
Domiciliary eye care in care homes
In care homes we arrange visits for several residents on the same day, working with managers to book a quiet room and a realistic timetable. Staff who know each resident best can support the examination, especially for people living with dementia.
We pre-confirm NHS eligibility for each resident and leave written records with the home. Read more on care home eye tests and optician visits.
Glasses for residents can be supplied and fitted on follow-up visits, with NHS optical vouchers accepted where eligible. Managers can reach us on 07458 693608 to discuss numbers, timing and any residents with complex eye care needs.
Who provides it
First Care Optical is a domiciliary optometry service based in Coventry, covering the Midlands. Your domiciliary sight test is carried out by Ranjeet “Randy” Bains, a GOC-registered optometrist with 18 years' experience in home eye care — the same named optometrist on each visit wherever possible.
Learn about Randy's qualifications and approach on his clinical profile.
Where possible, the same optometrist sees the same patient on return visits, which helps when someone has memory problems or anxiety about strangers. First Care Optical is based in Coventry and covers Birmingham, Solihull, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands.
Glasses after a domiciliary eye test
If new glasses are needed, we help you choose frames at home from the range we bring with us. Finished glasses are delivered and fitted on a return visit — there is no need to travel to a practice for fitting.
See glasses supply and home delivery for how supply, repairs and reglazing work alongside domiciliary eye care.
We confirm the price of any glasses with you before you order. Being over 60 does not by itself entitle you to an NHS optical voucher; our NHS optical vouchers page explains when help with glasses applies.