Transcript Senior’s Oral Health - Dalhousie University

Oral Health Care of
Nova Scotia Seniors
Let’s Talk Policy
Terry Mitchell, BSc, RDH, MEd, CGN
School of Dental Hygiene, Faculty of Dentistry
Dalhousie University
Research question
• What are the key components of an oral
health action plan, based on continuity of
care, which will improve the oral health
status of seniors in Nova Scotia?
Project objectives
•
•
•
•
Health services evaluation
Promising practices scan
Forum
Dissemination & communication
Health services evaluation
• Focus groups
• Key informant interviews
Promising practices scan
• Literature search
• Informal discussions, key service delivery
Forum
• Data to date
– Power point
– Story-telling
• Multi-sector small working groups
Dissemination & communication
•
•
•
•
•
Conferences
Reports
Journal articles
Newsletter
Etc.
Oral Health of Seniors Project Team
Principal investigators:
Mary McNally, Faculty of Dentistry, Dalhousie University
Renée Lyons, Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre

Aileen McCormick, Senior Representative


Debra Matthews, Faculty of Dentistry,
Dalhousie University
Patty Williams, Department of Family
Studies, MSVU

Don Pamenter, Nova Scotia Dental
Association
Robert MacDonald, Faculty of Dentistry,
Dalhousie University

Sandra Crowell, Atlantic Health Promotion
Research Centre

Scott MacLean, Practicing Dentist

Terry Mitchell, School of Dental Hygiene,
Dalhousie University

Valerie White, Nova Scotia Senior Citizens'
Secretariat

William MacInnis, Faculty of Dentistry,
Dalhousie University

Elizabeth Tait, Project Coordinator, Oral
Health of Seniors Project

Pamela Magee, Researcher, Oral Health of
Seniors Project


Gael Page, Northwoodcare Inc.

Gail Brown, Nova Scotia Dental Hygienists’
Association

Gerard Ferguson, Manulife Financial

Herenia Lawrence, Faculty of Dentistry,
University of Toronto

James Leake, Faculty of Dentistry,
University of Toronto

Joseph Murphy, Faculty of Dentistry,
Dalhousie University

Murray Nixon, Nova Scotia Department of
Health
Funders
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
CHSRF
NSHRF
Drummond Foundation
Manulife Financial
Nova Scotia Dental Association
Dentistry Canada Fund
CIHR for Forum Funding
Action plans
• Collaboration Steering
committee
• Policy development
• Public awareness
• Program delivery
• Geriatric education of
oral health care students
• Geriatric education for
non-oral health care
providers
• Research
Forum
Participants
• Seniors from
community
• Government
• Researchers
• Service & health care
businesses
• Associations
Policy implications
• Oral health must be explicitly recognized
as an essential component of overall health
and quality of life.
– Increase awareness of decision-makers, public
– Integrated health systems: coordinate private &
public services
Policy implications
• Infrastructure at either the provincial or
federal government levels must be
established for oral health care for seniors
– Leadership position in Health Canada,
Provincial Departments of Health
– Prevention, promotion of oral health care
integrated with public, primary healthcare
programs
Infrastructure (continued)
• Review relevant legislation impacting oral
health
• Oral health programs
• Guidelines for private & public continuing
care facilities - oral health standards &
service provision
• Oral health exam component to “single-point”
entry protocols
Policy implications
• Increase accessibility of oral health care
services especially for rural dwelling,
homebound, and long term care residents
– Mechanisms for service delivery, transportation
– LTC facilities for on-site care delivery
– Standardized oral health resource kit for nondental care providers
– Oral health care labour force issues
Policy implications
• Investigate alternate methods of
compensation for oral health professionals.
– Impact of poor oral health on healthcare and
other social systems
– Quantify financial support required (public &
primary health care for seniors)
– Develop and evaluate dental service fee guides
specific to geriatric dental care
Policy implications
• Foster research initiatives to establish data
pertaining to oral health and oral health
practises
– National consensus for oral health assessments
for seniors
– Assess oral health status of seniors
Research (continued)
– Collaborative research teams
• Develop & evaluate oral health promotion and oral
disease prevention strategies
• Develop and evaluate dental practice guidelines
specifically for seniors’ needs
• Determine the feasibility & mechanisms for
integrating oral health interventions and practices into
existing primary health care strategies
• Assess the impact of the aging population on the
dental workforce
• Develop & test service delivery models
Policy implications
• Education for care providers and those who
educate care providers must acknowledge
the need for specific geriatric education
– Accreditation standards: dental , dental
hygiene, health related professions
– Non-traditional delivery models educational
components
– Geriatric dentistry - specialty recognition
Education (continued)
– Geriatric education for health care workers
•
•
•
•
Nursing
Continuing care assistance
Pharmacy
Medicine
– Caregivers who provide personal care
Current status
•
•
•
•
Report submitted
Seniors oral health collaboration
COHR
Dissemination