Over the Christmas holidays I had the opportunity to participate in the first day of the oral cancer-screening project that myself and my partner, friend and fellow dental hygienist Joanne- have been in the process of developing. The organization that we are working to establish a long-term collaborative relationship with is The Good Neighbours’ Club in Toronto, Ontario. I am writing this blog to give you some insight and background information as to why we have chosen to work with this organization. This is blog is part one. In part two, I will share the learning experiences from the first day.
The Good Neighbours’ Club is an organization that works with homeless, unemployed, marginalized, and/or lonely older adult men. I encourage you to take an opportunity to view their website to gain an idea of the great role this organization plays in the community http://goodneighboursclub.org.
Some may ask why we have chosen to work with this organization over others. Although there are many groups of socially isolated and marginalized individuals in society, the reason that we chose this organization is that this population demographic is often a cohort whose needs are minimized. From a societal standpoint, men are viewed as naturally empowered individuals. Socialization evolves and fosters what is supposed to be a strong male identity. Furthermore, the older adult male is at risk for oral cancer, this risk is further compounded by smoking and drinking habits.
Not only is this project an opportunity to improve the oral health of these men, it is also an opportunity to improve their personal wellbeing. The personal wellbeing of these men is improved by providing an opportunity for empowerment. Personal empowerment is a key component of health promotion and oral health is increasingly viewed as an intrinsic part of overall health. Empowerment comes from the individual feeling a sense of control over their health and as being viewed as an active participant in the decision making process.
Though this project, we hope to accomplish development of meaningful relationships with the members of this club. Meaningful relationships are accomplished by active listening, empathy and setting mutually agreed upon goals. Empowerment involves guiding the client and providing direction, but not necessarily telling the client what to do. A trusting relationship facilitates the empowerment process. (Falk-Rafael, 2001) This project will allow us to be more visible within the Good Neighbours’ Club; with frequent visits and follow-ups we hope that this will foster a trusting relationship with the members.
As with any new endeavor, there are bound to be bumps along the way. Part of the success of volunteer and community development projects is dependent on the identification of areas for improvement, a determination of what works and what does not, and strategies for improvement next time around.
As a clinician, you are only as good as your assessment tools. During the screenings, I found that I was consciously thinking of ways to improve our assessment form for next time around. Regardless of setbacks encountered, this project was a success. Taking the time a see an individual who is otherwise invisible in society could mean a world of happiness to them even if just for a few minutes to look in their mouth; you could make their day.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Reference List:
Falk-Rafael, A.R. (2001). Empowerment as a process of evolving consciousness: A model of empowered caring. Advances in Nursing Science. 24(1), 1-16.
Good Neighbours’ Club. Mission Statement. Retrieved Dec 14, 2010 from http://goodneighboursclub.org/
