Project Good Oral Health

A Research Alliance

Program History

Building collaborative research infrastructure to reduce oral health disparities among low income older adults: Project GOH!
Significant oral health disparities exist among low income residents living in senior housing. Project GOH! works with clinics and older adults and management in senior housing to identify important topics for research, service, education and policy change.

This project is based locally in Connecticut and serves as a model for a national demonstration.

The overall goal of this project is to improve the oral health and quality of life of low income older adults. We plan to achieve this by working with housing residents and management and relevant organizations to develop and conduct future research and service projects in oral health that will help to:

　

  • work in partnership with clinicians, building managers and residents to understand residents' perceptions of oral health, what role it plays their lives, what problems they have in accessing dental care, the relationship of oral health to other aspects of health and illness, and the consequences ofinadequate oral health care;
  • develop projects with clinicians and residents that will reduce barriers to good oral health care;
  • work together with resident groups to develop research projects and carry out educational programs to help people learn about how to achieve good oral health;
  • involve residents, clinicians and OHRSA members in informing health care providers, advocates and policymakers about appropriate oral health needs of older adults.