Howick Village Optometrists

Frith Jenkins (manager /owner)

Howick Village Optometrists is a second generation optometry practice owned by Frith and Graham Jenkins, comprising four optometrists (including three mums) and two dispensing opticians.

Each front of house staff member has been with us for more than 5 years. We have been in operation for over 50 years and are now seeing children and grandchildren of clients.

Frith joined HVO in 2003 after spending the previous 20 years in sales. She is now the practice manager and has become known for her honesty when working with clients to select frames – she loves a challenge!

We’ve all heard the old saying ‘the eyes are the window to the soul’ but did you know that your child’s eyes are also a ‘window’ into the state of their general health?

Children as young as three may have vision problems that if not corrected can have negative impacts on their vision for the rest of their lives. Common complaints such as headaches can be due to eyestrain as your child’s eyes struggle to sharpen blurry images caused by astigmatism or unequal visual acuity in each eye.

Children with undiagnosed vision problems may appear to have attention deficits, learning disabilities or a general disinterest in many activities and thus have problems all through school that could have been avoided by an eye exam.

We cannot emphasise enough how important your child’s eyesight is!

Children do most of their learning through their eyes and if there are any issues, then we are here to advise and assist in any way we can.

We are able to provide an assessment of your child’s visual status: fixation, focus, tracking, colour, peripheral, health and more. Our equipment is regularly updated and we can refer your child to specialists for further diagnostics if required. We also keep abreast of fashions and offer the largest independent range of frames.

Community services card – children’s spectacle subsidy

If your child is 15 or under and has vision problems, you may be able to get the spectacle subsidy. Enable New Zealand manages the children’s spectacle subsidy on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

A child or young person who is 15 years of age or under can receive the subsidy, as long as:

• the parent/guardian or child has a valid community services card, or
• the child has a current high use health card

There are also clinical guidelines your child will need to meet. We can discuss these guidelines with you during your appointment.

If your child does not meet the clinical guidelines, we may be able to apply to Enable New Zealand for a review of your child’s circumstances.

The spectacle subsidy can be claimed for the following items:

• Eye examination
• Spectacles (frames and lenses)
• Eye patches, and/or repairs

Come in and meet the team

Our big, friendly practice is located opposite the Howick Saturday Markets, right in the heart of Howick.

At HVO, we have the most amazing, caring team. It is important to us that our clients feel happy and at ease. Call us on (09 534 8716) to make an appointment.