Congratulations to the Gary and Mary West Senior Dental Center (SDC), the recipient of the 2020 Archstone Foundation Award for Excellence in Program Innovation for their outstanding work in providing low-income older adults with serious and complex oral healthcare needs access to integrated dental care. This is a critical service given how deeply connected oral health is with overall health.
The award, presented in partnership with the American Public Health Association (APHA), recognizes best practice models in caring for older adults. The SDC fills an important gap in the oral health safety-net and bridges community-based services with health care. Typical Medicare plans do not offer a dental benefit and individuals who do qualify for the Medicaid dental program often have difficulty finding providers who accept the low reimbursement rates.
The SDC is an excellent choice for the award. It has provided dental services since 2015, serving over 1,200 older adults, and is embedded within a senior wellness center and a Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)—places where older adults frequently congregate. Reducing barriers to care such as transportation, location, and cost makes it easier for older adults to access necessary dental treatment and oral health education.
The SDC’s overall goal is to design a sustainable model for holistic, patient-centered care. Core programmatic elements of the SDC include:
- Implementing whole-person oral health care that considers medical, social, and behavioral health needs and conditions;
- Bringing oral health care to a trusted, well-attended community location; and
- Engaging older adults in their own care through education, treatment planning, and delivery.
Linking Theory to Applied Practice
An evaluation published last year on the first cohort of SDC patients exhibited an absolute reduction in dental pain in 20 percent of patients, a 60 percent improvement in self-rated oral health, an 18 percent improvement in chewing, a 27 percent improvement in food limitation, and a 20 percent overall improvement of general oral pain.
It is our hope that this model program will be replicated and will continue to be evaluated in an effort to enhance services for older people throughout the United States.
Recognizing Programs that Change Lives
All Award for Excellence in Program Innovation winners benefit from showcasing their program on a national stage at the APHA conference. Although this year’s conference and award ceremony were virtual, SDC and the network of aging and public health leaders in the field continue to spread ideas and innovations to improve the lives of older adults and the communities in which they live.
Learn more about the Archstone Foundation Award for Excellence in Program Innovation.
Learn more about APHA.
Comments
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