Ok Moms. I'm a Grandma now, but I still have 1 "child" ( young adult) at home. I call him my "forever kid". Mike is a special guy to all who meet him, but he really NEEDS a dentist, and on my salary I can't afford most of them out there. He no longer qualifies for my company insurance due to age. I have obtained "HFS" (State Aid) for him, but have found finding a dentist who will accept this, difficult. I live in the Berwyn, Il. area. Any suggestions out there?
I put out a call for help and an angel came to my rescue. Through my trials with all of this I have discovered the main reason I had trouble to start with and That it is a sad fact that MOST of us with similar problems will continue to have them for a while. The reason for the problem..The dentists are only paid about $.46 on the dollar for their services by the state of Illinois.And THAT is sadly paid in arrears. My options are U.I.C. or County Clinics.. both of which are 1st come 1st served, no appts. And generally not as up to date as most private dentists. And not a great option for a "kid trapped in an adults body" . He's not the patient type. And will most likely require special care.
As God, Mamasource, and luck would have it..there is an angel who found a peds.dentist who will take on my son as a patient due to his Down syndrome. He has an appt. later this month. Thank you for all your help and support.
I'd like you all to wish my angel good luck, as today is her birthday and she is due with her second baby as well. See? Told you she was an angel!
As a last resort, you may want to try the UIC Dental school. Its not terribly convenient in terms of time efficiency, but the work is free by the dental students. There are some costs that can be associated if you need novacain (sp?) or that sort of thing. An application has to be filled out though and I think there is a bit of red tape. There is also a dentist in Melrose Park that takes public aid, I think her last name is Dado. Good luck!
Hi A. - I work for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Pediatric dentists are trained not only to care for childen but special needs adults also.
I suggest either going to our web site to find a dentist (a lot will take state aid) or if you prefer, e-mail me directly and I can give you more info and maybe find out some specific docs to take him to.
Hi,
Please visit http://www.kidspluspediatricdentistry.com/
This is an absolutely wonderful dental practice with offices in Chicago and Hoffman Estates. I give it tip top recommendations and I am very picky. I am not 100% sure about HFS, but if for some reason they aren't able to help, I'm confident they can find you someone who can. Good luck!
UIC on taylor street Chicago is great. They are fast and suffcient their niumber is 312- ###-###-####. I hope this will help I needed surgeroy due to four wisdom teeth coming in I was in between medical coverage and they were great! I know have insurance top line and I still continue to use their services for regular dental work.
Try the health department of your county (cook?). Or ask HFS for a list of cooperating providers. Also call any support groups for those caring for a downs "child". I'm sure you're not the only one in that circle to have the same issue because of the age cutoff for standard dependent coverage. If all else fails, contact a social worker through his school (if he is in school), HFS, your nearest hospital or even try Easter Seals (Lombard). They are a wealth of info & experience because they've seen it all when it comes to parenting the differently-abled. I know that the supports you & he need are out there--I pray you find them.
My brother has Aspergers Syndrome and he went to UIC dental school for some major dental work. He went there because they were the only ones that would take state aid for dental care (at least at the time). They were great. Now, it wasn't totally free - the state aid only covered a percent of many of the things he needed done - but they paid a majority of it. It is a difficult proccess to get started, but once you have your initial appointment it goes pretty smoothly. He still talks about how he liked his dentist there. She was a student, but had a teacher there with her helping and monitoring.
I am pretty sure that Loyola has a dental clinic too...maybe check them out since you live in Berwyn that would be right in your backyard. (addition - I check Loyola out for your - here is the dental website - http://www.loyolamedicine.org/Medical_Services/Services_A... )
Good Luck
P.S. - you may want to contact your insurance regarding continuing his coverage based on the fact that he is a disabled adult living in your home. I know that my M. was still able to carry my brother, regardless of age, as long as he lived with her.
University of Illinois has a dental program that takes HFS, also some of the Access Community Health Network sites have dentistry and they take HFS. If you google Access Community Health Network, you will find their main site. Also HFS has a dental contractor who is supposed to locate services for clients. Look at the benefit's booklet and you will find the number. Good Luck.
Did you try and call whoever sponsors HFS. They usually have lists of who would be available in your area.
