In an effort to improve long-term care for the rapidly growing population of older adults, the UMKC School of Dentistry is assisting the University of Kansas Medical Center with the creation of the Kansas Geriatric Education Center (KS-GEC), a web site that takes an interdisciplinary approach to offering education and information to geriatric health-care workers.  >In the past, managing long-term care for older adults did not necessarily include consideration of a patient’s oral health; but according to Karen Williams, director of the UMKC School of Dentistry Clinical Research Center, times are changing.  >“There is a movement toward integrating approaches in education,” she said.  >“We were asked by KU Medical Center to be a part of this.”

 >In the program, representatives of the dental field join representatives from other disciplines including medicine, pharmacy, social work, occupational therapy, health-care administration, dietetics and nutrition to design courses to teach professionals about the special needs of older adults.  >“We’re interested in reconnecting the mouth to the rest of the body,” Williams said, “especially when it comes to improving long-term care for older adults.”

Another benefit of the KS-GEC collaboration between dental and medical fields is that participants in the interdisciplinary program can earn a two-level Advanced Geriatric Education (AGE) certificate – online. “It’s exciting,” Williams said of the program.  >“By next month, [dental] clinicians can earn ADA-approved continuing education credit.” The learning modules and web site information are available to anyone; however, participants taking the classes for credit pay a $25 to $50 fee. In addition to an online calendar of events, the KS-GEC web site also offers teaching aids, referrals to other geriatric resources, links to specialty sites and information about its geriatric conferences. More information is available on the web at coa.kumc.edu/gec.