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A2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER W ednesday M arch 29, 2000 W ed n esd ay, M a rch 2 9 th : H alton R egional C ouncil m eets in the regional council cham bers at 9:30 a.m . at regional headquarters, 1151 B ronte Rd. A public m eeting regarding Sheridan H ills is at 7 p.m . in the T rafalgar R oom o f the O akv ille M u n icip al B u ild in g , 1225 T rafalgar Rd. A public m eetin g reg ard in g Im assco E nterprises is at 7 p.m . in the B ronte Room o f the O akville M unicipal B uilding. T hursday, M arch 30th: A public m eet ing regarding the Private W oodland By-law is at 7:30 p.m . in the O akville and T rafalgar R oom s o f th e O a k v ille M u n ic ip a l B uilding. M on d ay, A p ril 3 rd : Tow n C o u n cil m eets at 7 :3 0 p .m . in th e C o u n cil C h am b ers o f the O ak v ille M unicipal Building. Tuesday, A pril 4th: The O akville Site Plan C om m ittee m eets at 5:30 p.m . in the T rafalgar Room o f the O akville M unicipal Building. O a k v ille's C om m ittee o f A djustm ent m eets at 7 p.m . in the Council C ham bers at the O akville M unicipal Building. T h e re g u lar m eetin g o f the H alton R om an C atholic D istrict School B oard is at 8 p.m . at the b o ard's com m ittee room , 802 D rury L ane, B urlington. W ednesday, A pril 5 th: LAC AC (Local A rc h ite c tu ral C o n serv atio n A d visory C om m ittee) m eets at 7:30 p.m. in the B ronte Room o f the O akville M unicipal B uilding. Program to better seniors'dental health By Irene Gentle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER A six-month pilot project will attempt to ensure that the well-being of Halton's frail elderly and special needs adults isn't being jeopardized by poor dental health. The program is the culmination of efforts spearheaded by Halton resident Carole Ward. The issue caught her attention when she real ized her elderly parents had stopped brushing their teeth while living in a nursing home. And they weren't alone. According to an earli er Halton staff report, up to 95% of the frail elder ly and special needs adults have trouble just brush ing their teeth. "It never occurred to me that I should be saying `Dad, are you brushing your teeth," ' Ward told the Region's health and social services committee, Tuesday. "It just never dawned on me." But after watching her parents' teeth literally crumble, Ward helped form the Halton Oral Health Outreach committee. Now the Community Care Access Centre and the Halton Regional Health Department have also joined forces to tackle the problem, which can lead to malnourishment. "Literally, people can't get the nourishment they need without proper dental care," said Oakville Mayor Ann Mulvale. Recently, dental care for seniors in Halton retirement or long term care homes has been addressed. But if approved at council, the pilot project will allow a dental hygienist to assess the dental health of vulnerable residents in their own homes. The program was lauded by Halton chair Joyce Savoline. `T his is a program that simply was lacking," she said. Initially, the regional health department expects to see about six service requests per month, said the Region's Medical Officer of Health Bob Nosal. "But once there's increased awareness, we may have an exponential increase," he admitted. A survey taken by Halton Oral Health Outreach at its outset showed about 11% o f seniors could pay for dental services if they had access to them. "But since then, we seem to be getting a lot of people coming forward who can't afford it," said Ward. Mulvale cautioned against subsidizing treat ment for those who do have the means to pay for treatment. "You have to be careful when you determine who can pay and who can not," she said. "I don't want this to blow up in our face. A lot of retired people have money." While the will is there, what's missing is the funding to pay for dental care for at-risk residents who can't afford it, said Ward. For information on oral health education pro grams and treatment services and resources, call the Community Care Access Centre at 639-5228 or 1-800-810-0000. Y O U RM IS S IO N : SUCCESSFULLY 0RGRHIZE YOUR SPRCE UITH0UT EXCESSIVE FORCE. Our designers will help create the perfect closet for you! Our versatile components and many accessories offer flexibility in design and price. Challenge us to be creative with your space ...or lack o f it! YOUR OAKVILLE LINCOLN DEALER residential · commercial · industrial Closet Maid Heavy Duty, Vinyl Coated Steel Shelving AK-LAND FORD LINCOLN 570 TRAFALGAR RD., OAKVILLE at the Q.E.W. c a ll: 8 4 4 -3 2 7 3 Proud Sponsor of the Oakville W aterfront Festival O d k v d le ' Waterfront fe & tfo a l/ 466 Speers Road, O a k ville · 9 0 5 -8 4 2 -5 0 6 There's a w hole new w o rld out there d is c o v e r it t o d a y W W W .O a division of HaltonSearch. com