Plus dental health access, new drug testing
A new report shows Florida is near the bottom among state rankings in helping family caregivers struggling with long-term care support for loved ones, a look at what one group is calling the ‘dental health crisis’ plaguing some Floridians, plus a new drug test may render traditional toxicology reports obsolete. It’s all in this week’s Healthcare Digest.
Family Caregivers Stretched Thin: Florida ranked 43rd nationwide in supporting family caregivers in a recent report conducted by AARP. The report found Florida was particularly weak in affordability and access to long-term care and in support offered to family caregivers. With the average age of the population continually skewing older each year, it is vital to address the state’s needs in long-term solutions for family care as many cannot afford solutions such as a home health aide. For those who do not qualify for Medicaid but also cannot afford these long-term services, there are few options. In these cases, friends and family must care for the elderly which can exhaust time, money, and other resources. At a press conference in September AARP policy director Susan Reinhard said, “It’s really critical that we improve the aging experience for all Americans across the country, and our ability to get this right largely depends on our ability to care for our loved ones, as a society.”
Dental Health Crisis: A group known as Floridians for Dental Access has been raising concern over lack of dental care, listing it as the biggest healthcare need in the state. Collecting many personal anecdotes from across the internet and in person, the organization says there is a huge lack of oral care for Medicaid patients, and especially preventive care for the group. According to a study conducted by the Florida Department of Health, nearly 80% of dentists said they refused Medicare patients at their practice. With over 95% of dentists operating in private practices, many Americans fall through the cracks, unable to afford the relatively high cost of dental care with limited access to many vital services. An online forum has also been opened to bring light to the issue, by sharing personal healthcare stories and encouraging others to do the same.
Not Your Father’s Drug Test: A research team at Florida International University has developed a new method of drug testing that could prove to be far more effective than traditional toxicology reports. Current tests only detect drug use that’s occurred within the last few days or week by looking for drug metabolites in blood or urine. The FIU team developed an innovative method that detects changes in certain blood proteins that react when exposed to drugs. The scientists were able to identify molecular weight changes for eight commonly abused substances, including methamphetamine, MDMA, THC, oxycodone, cocaine, and diazepam. As an example, investigators could use the procedure to retrospectively detect drug use in cases involving impaired driving, workplace accidents, or criminal investigations, such as drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Substance abuse treatment programs could also use it to help monitor individuals.
LMA Newsletter of 10-23-23
