SUPPORT groups in Frome and other local towns are holding a combined call to help local people affected by macular disease, the biggest cause of sight loss in the UK.
The groups, which are run by members and volunteers of leading sight loss charity the Macular Society, will hold their joint call on Wednesday 7th April at 2:30pm. The session is open to anyone with macular disease, their families or friends, and further combined calls will take place at the same time on the first Wednesday of the month, until face-to-face meetings can be safely resumed.
Judy Pride, Macular Society regional manager, said, “Although the pandemic continues to impose necessary social restrictions, people’s health and wellbeing must always come first.
“However, it’s also absolutely vital that everyone who needs our support continues to receive it. Although our face-to-face services have had to be suspended for the time being, we are still on the end of the phone and would strongly urge anyone to call us if they do need our assistance.
“The telephone groups offer help in understanding macular disease and coming to terms with sight loss; exactly the way that our face-to-face support groups used to do. They also help us to ensure that everyone is kept up to date with all the current news and information.
“But most importantly, they allow people with macular disease to continue to take part in social activities, helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation during these difficult times.”
The Macular Society suspended all its face-to-face activities when Covid-19 first struck last year, replacing them with a new range of telephone and online support services, including more than 400 telephone support groups across the UK.
The charity funds research to beat macular disease, which affects around 1.5 million people in the UK, and many more are at risk. There is still no cure and most types of the disease are not treatable. It can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.
If you would like to join the call or for more information about additional support services available locally, please contact Tyler Phillips on 07920 643 710 or email: tyler.phillips@ macularsociety.org
For information on other services currently available from the Macular Society, please call the charity’s Advice and Information Service on 0300 3030 111 or email: help@macularsociety.org
