Serving our Seniors Magazine January - March 2025

In a CDC study in 2022, “Dental Care Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States 2022,” found that 63.7% of older adults had a dental visit in the last 12 months. What about the 36.6% who did not see a dentist? To address the need for affordable dental care in later life, Serving Our Seniors is working with the Erie County Health Department to pilot a project and study how Serving Our Seniors can best help older adults improve their oral health, as they grow older. Sixteen (16) Erie County residents, ages 60+, who need, but cannot afford general dental care are encouraged to apply for Serving Our Seniors Dental Care Pilot Project . This project is in a position to fund up to $600 in dental care (cleaning, exam, x-rays, treat cavities and to a limited extent some extractions) per older adult, through the Erie County Health Department Dental Clinic. The dental care is not free, but it is made affordable to eliminate financial hardship. For example: Let’s say the cost for an examination, x-rays, dental cleaning and treating two cavities costs $519.00, plus a $35 office fee/per visit. This will require the client to have two (2) dental appointments. Total cost $589. Together, Serving Our Seniors and the retiree figure out an amount the retiree can afford to pay toward his/her dental care. In this example, the client pays the Erie County Health Department Dental Clinic $9 at the first visit. Serving Our Seniors is billed the balance of $306. For the second visit, Serving Our Seniors pays the $35 office fee and the Erie County Health Department bills Serving Our Seniors for the remaining $239. For more information, about applying for the Dental Care Pilot Project, call Serving Our Seniors (419-624-1856). Ask to speak with a Senior Advocate Assistant. How Healthy is Your Mouth? The most common response I receive when telling others about a Successful Aging Visit is a non-verbal stare or an answer of ‘I’m not that bad, yet.’ Think about your health, as you would your home. It is easier to keep a small problem small, (i.e., a slow, leaking toilet) than to wait until the problem is so bad, is undeniable. I.e., when a toilet has a slow leak, a plumber could replace the wax ring under the toilet in less than an hour. Or, one could sop up the water, each day, with a towel. Letting the slow leak continue, rots out the bathroom floor over time. As the toilet sinks through the floor, this problem is undeniable. It can’t be fixed in less than an hour. Those age 60+, who have no spouse/family/friends to be a devoted caregiver, on a short-term or long- term basis, are at the greatest risk. Serving Our Seniors can help you learn how to keep a small health problem small, in later life. For more information, call Tina Sluga, Health Care Advocate Trainer (419-624-1856). She could be the difference between understanding – and not understanding – how to maintain your functional independence as you grow older in Erie County. The Argument Against Successful Aging Visits: “I’m Not That Bad…Yet” By Sue Daugherty Senior Advocate Assistants Amy, Pam, Wendy, and Roberta 20