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Q&A
Council Member Brewer inquires about dental care for older adults, Commissioner Cortés-Vázquez highlights hearing as a priority health need
4:13:47
·
56 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer asks about dental care for older adults, but Commissioner Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez reveals that hearing loss is actually the most pressing health need for the aging population. The Commissioner discusses potential initiatives to address hearing loss, including possible legislation to provide hearing benefits.
- The Department for the Aging is exploring ways to mitigate hearing loss for a large portion of the older adult population.
- They are considering potential legislation to include hearing support or provide it as a benefit.
- While dental care is important, hearing support is currently the top health priority for the department.
Gale A. Brewer
4:13:47
Just quickly, the biggest issue is dental.
4:13:49
And I know it's a hard topic.
4:13:50
Obviously, if you're covered, fine.
4:13:52
But when you're not, it's hard.
4:13:54
Is that something that is comes across your radar at all in terms of dental for older adults?
4:14:42
All right, thank you.
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
4:13:59
You know, if I were to think of the health needs, the biggest one for us is not dental, it's hearing.
4:14:06
And how we are trying to address that.
4:14:10
And we're working, looking at all possible ways because one of the things that Doctor.
4:14:16
Katz has told us is that there are ways you can mitigate hearing loss for a large swat of the population.
4:14:25
And we're looking at possible legislation to include hearing or provide it as part of a benefit.
4:14:33
But we're way off on that.
4:14:35
But that is, if I were to think of the two health needs, the first one that comes up is hearing, support around hearing.