Our mission at Voyage Eye Care is to ensure every person has access to quality, comprehensive eye care.
Meet Dr. Kirsten Donnellon
Dr. Kirsten Donnellon is a Michigan native who grew up in Oakland County and has more than 17 years of experience providing comprehensive eye care in both optometry and ophthalmology settings. She has extensive experience diagnosing and managing eye diseases including macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic eye disease, and dry eye.
She founded Voyage Eye Care to bring high-quality, comprehensive eye care directly to patients who are unable to travel to a traditional office. After watching her own mother navigate assisted living and memory care with dementia, Dr. Donnellon recognized the barriers many seniors face in accessing routine eye care. This inspired her to create a practice dedicated to serving patients in their homes, assisted living communities, memory care facilities, and other residential settings.
Dr. Donnellon also provides low vision rehabilitation for patients with permanent vision loss. Using specialized devices, technology, and individualized strategies, she helps patients maximize their remaining vision and maintain independence in their daily lives.
Her mission is to provide compassionate, personalized eye care that improves vision, preserves independence, and enhances quality of life.
Degrees
Doctorate of Optometry (O.D.) from Pennsylvania College of Optometry, High Honors, 2009
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Vision Science from Pennsylvania College of Optometry, 2009
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology from University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, 2004
Why Mobile?
Voyage Eye Care was founded to address a significant unmet need among patients with mobility challenges. For these individuals, travel can be time-consuming and costly, especially when transportation services are required. While podiatry and dentistry services are commonly provided in many facilities and homes across the U.S., high-quality eye care remains scarce in these settings. Regular eye exams are crucial, as glasses can easily be lost, and prescriptions can become outdated. Additionally, blurred or reduced vision significantly increases the risk of balance problems and falls, which, as we know, can lead to life-altering injuries in the senior population—often requiring hospitalization.
Disease Prevalence
2023 study found that more than 1 in 4 people aged 71 and older experienced visual impairment in their lifetime. The most common eye conditions afflicting seniors include cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.
In the early stages, symptoms of many eye conditions may not be obvious. However, without intervention, these conditions can worsen and lead to significant vision problems later in life. Early detection and management by an eye doctor are crucial for addressing issues before they become more severe.
Our senior population can have increasingly complex medical histories as they age. Not only do systemic diseases affect the eyes, but the long-term use of certain medications such as Seroquel, Plaquenil, Elmiron and more, can have ocular side effects that need to be monitored to prevent permanent vision loss.
Challenges of Facility Living
The demand on the staff for patient care in assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing facilities is very high. At Voyage Eye Care we try and design a care plan that includes keeping in mind a patient’s visual limitations and offer staff solutions for how to best assist the patient/resident.
Did You Know?
On-site eye care can decrease the risk of falls and depression in senior residents, positively impacting a resident’s quality of life.