How to put in eyedrops with your eyes closed!

Working for an Ophthalmologist who is a glaucoma specialist, I have a large amount of patients who are on daily drops for their Glaucoma. I know that I have a hard time putting drops in my own eyes, I can't imagine how difficult it can be for an elderly person who has an unsteady hand or lives alone manages it on a daily basis, often more than once a day in both eyes. To make matters worse, the bottles are small and the drops are measured out precisely with the correct amount of drops for the month, leaving little left over in case you miss your eye. If I ever found myself unemployed, I could open my own business being the "Long Island Drop Girl", going from home to home, putting drops in for patients that struggled with this daily task. Patients always ask me, "What is the proper way to put my drops in my eyes?" The best way to instill eye drops is to tip your head back, pull down your lower lid making a "cup" for the drop to fall into and look up and back. If you do this correctly, the drop should fall right into the little "cup", but some people are not able to do this. If this method does not work for you, I recommend trying the eye closed technique. Lay down or tip your head back and close your eyes. Bring the dropper close to your eye near the inner corner, by your nose. Place a drop on the inner corner, open your eye, so the drop goes in. Always make sure that they dropper does not touch the lids or lashes. This could cause contamination, especially in instances where you are on drops for a contagious eye infection. If the dropper should touch your lid or lashes, simply clean the applicator tip with alcohol. Remember, all you need is a little opening for the drop to go in, and whatever method works for you, it is important to make sure you take your drops as prescribed by your Ophthalmologist. Mary Sweetman Certified Ophthalmic Assistant