Oak Tree Clinic –BC Women’s Hospital
“On the Street, staying healthy was not my priority” – Ms. X
At a guest speaker session, a woman with positive HIV, Ms. X, shared her life experience with me. Her story further developed my understanding of the impact of social determinants of health on one’s overall health and oral health, along with the importance to take those determinants into account when developing treatment plans for clients as a dental hygiene professional.
Ms. X was a drug user and was homeless at times. During the time she was on the streets, she felt helpless as she lost control of her own life. Staying healthy was not on her priority list. Health was the least of her worries, as her everyday priority was to get through the day and look for the next accommodation. She had many health problems, including losing all her maxillary teeth. She mentioned that everything began to change when she was fortunately provided with a place to live.
Her story parallels with what I had learned in school – “housing is the basis of social determinants of health.”
After receiving housing (a permanent address), she felt more connected with others and the society since social workers and other healthcare providers could easily contact her. Because she had a physical address, she was able to apply for IDs and access for many programs that she found helpful later on. She felt that she could finally take control of herself and make changes to her life. She put herself through detox and participates in many programs to educate herself, including the mindfulness program, career counseling and clinics. She now considers for her own future.
By witnessing the impact of housing on an individual, I deeply understood the influence of the social determinants of health on one’s overall health and oral health that has been stressed a lot by my professors throughout my dental hygiene education.
It is evident through this experience that we as a health care providers should always take into account of one’s Social Determinants of Health when planning treatments. We will be able to Promote Health and enable our clients to increase control of their health when we address social determinants of health.
