Calls for free dental care for seniors as hospitalisations surge

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Australian Dental Association is calling for the federal government to fund a seniors dental benefits scheme to avoid unnecessary hospitalisations.

Transcript

00:00Pensioner Vicki McCaig can now brush her teeth without pain.

00:07For two years, the 71-year-old grandmother couldn't afford to see a dentist.

00:12You never have that much money to play around with, so my teeth wasn't a priority.

00:19I was getting lots of pain, lots of sensitivity in my gums and bleeding.

00:26Luckily, Vicki was accepted into a trial of a senior's dental benefits scheme.

00:31Her teeth were fixed for free, and she avoided a trip to hospital.

00:35Extremely lucky, very lucky. I mean, how many times has something like this offered?

00:40When you're experiencing pain every time you put something to your mouth, it does, it gets you down after a while.

00:47You know, you can't enjoy your food, can't enjoy your drink, and your life does get challenging, very challenging.

00:54That's looking very good around there.

00:56The Australian Dental Association is calling on the government to introduce a senior's dental benefits scheme.

01:02Anybody on a health care card or pension card that's over 65 years old is able to access a government-funded scheme,

01:09similar to the child dental scheme that's running at the moment.

01:11That would unlock access to private practice clinics and government clinics across Australia,

01:15and we know there's a significant number of those people that can't currently afford access to care.

01:20About 16,000 over-65s are hospitalised each year for dental treatment,

01:25and that's predicted to rise to almost 23,000 by 2028.

01:30It's hoped a senior's dental benefits scheme would reduce those admissions,

01:34giving eligible seniors $1,100 of free dental work every two years.

01:39There's a whole bunch of bodies calling for action in this space, and it's falling on deaf ears. It's rather frustrating.

01:46The idea of a senior's dental benefits scheme isn't new.

01:49It was recommended by the Aged Care Royal Commission,

01:52but years later, and with the cost of living rising, there's still been no commitment.

01:57The Federal Health Minister says there's no plans to change the way dental's funded anytime soon.

02:02It's desperate, and it's been desperate for decades.

02:05And I suppose the disappointing thing is that the doctors and the nurses who are absolutely, they're angels.

02:11People who work in aged care facilities are trying their best,

02:14but they don't have the knowledge or the skills to make oral health decisions.

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