The new Advocacy Guide for Oral Health for Low Income Older Adults is now available. Please share in your network and organization.
Oral health affects overall health – this is particularly true for older adults. Yet, access to oral health treatment is limited and complicated by factors such as lack of dental coverage, complicated rules, and lack of dental providers. To assist California advocates in connecting their clients with oral health treatment, Justice in Aging has developed an Advocacy Guide for Oral Health for Older Adults in California.
The Guide includes a summary with advocacy tips on the following topics:
- Why oral health matters
- The state of oral health for older adults in California today
- Health insurance coverage options for older adults including Medicare, Denti-Cal, and other forms of coverage
- Unique barriers sub-populations of older adults encounter in accessing oral health including dual eligibles and nursing facility residents
- Treatment alternatives for individuals without dental coverage
- Additional resources
It is our intention that this Guide will help advocates navigate the system and empower them to identify and address systemic barriers to care. Visit Justice in Aging’s Oral Health page for additional resources and help us celebrate #OralHealthMonth by forwarding this resource to your networks.
(Posted on behalf of Barbara Finch, Children and Adult Network Director Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services)
