Grant helps fund oral health education for Florida's elderly

Jul 23, 2009

To improve the oral health of Florida's elderly population, Renaissance Health Service granted $3,000 to help fund the Florida Dental Association's dental health traveling seminar, Oral Health Education and Prevention Program for the Vulnerable Elderly.

The seminar is presented to the administrators and staff members of nursing homes, assisted living centers, and community-based senior programs throughout Florida. At the presentation, Nolan Allen, D.D.S., past president of the association, and Bob Macdonald, the organization's director of dental care and health, educate attendees about the importance of maintaining the oral health of their residents.

"By 2030, one out of every five Americans will be older than 65," Dr. Allen said in a press release. "It is vital that we provide dental information for seniors and caretakers in order to protect the overall health of Florida's vulnerable elderly."

After the seminar, each attendee receives an information packet with a DVD detailing basic dental hygiene methods and oral health brochures from the association's Dentistry: Gateway to Good Health campaign.

"Oral health is generally an overlooked element of an older person's overall health, although they are closely connected," said Tonya Draughon, director of business and product development for Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America. "Improving oral health can prevent complications due to chronic diseases such as diabetes, as well as help to prevent aspiration pneumonia, thus improving quality of life. With this in mind, Renaissance Health Service Corporation fully supports the Florida Dental Association's efforts to educate the caretakers of the elderly on the importance of oral health."

State Rep. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla), who also donated funds to this program, said, "Our senior population is frequently afflicted with chronic diseases or physical limitations that have adverse effects on their oral health. This, in turn, is detrimental to their general health. Many of these seniors have taken good care of their oral health in their younger years, and we need to make every reasonable effort to help them continue through life with good health."