Press Release
HKU Faculty of Dentistry provided Oral Health Education in institutionalized elderly care centres
May 2018
To raise oral health awareness of elderly patients among staff working in elderly care centres, HKU Faculty of Dentistry organised an Oral Health Education Program in 34 residential care homes and day care centres, including the Chi Lin Nunnery Medical Service from September 2017 to January 2018.
Aging population is a major issue in Hong Kong. Oral health care is always being neglected as unimportant health care issue. Thus, the program aims to raise the awareness of oral health among elderly care staff, caregivers and the elderly with or - without Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Chu Chun-hung, Associate Dean (External Relations) of HKU Dentistry and other Faculty staff provided individual counseling and oral health education seminars to participants of the Program. From such, participants gained understandings on the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and oral diseases, age-related dental knowledge and obtained basic oral care skills to improve the elderly’s oral health condition.
Apart from oral health seminars, the Faculty provided free dental examination and preventive treatment for the elderly. 1,334 participants including 1,208 staff and family members were benefited from this program.
Feedback and opinions of this program were collected. Most of them found the program helpful in improving their oral health knowledge significantly and reinforcing the good daily oral health habit among the elderly.
The program is supported by the HKU Knowledge Exchange Fund 2017/18. More details can be obtained from the Faculty External Relations and Knowledge Exchange Unit or via email to dentke@hku.hk.
