What is it about?

This study looked at ways that nursing assistants could provide safe and effective mouth care for people with dementia living in residential care. In particular this study focused on older adults with dementia and resistive behaviors to oral care.

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Why is it important?

Mouth care is often forgotten or omitted when nursing assistants have competing job tasks that begin to pile up. For older adults, poor oral care can lead to systemic infections that could be life threatening. Providing proper oral healthcare will reduce the threat of illness.

Perspectives

Mouth care is essential to optimal health and should be encouraged or performed by every resident in long-term care. Nurses and nursing assistants should be performing oral care on every patient every day.

Dr. Pamela C Spigelmyer
Duquesne University Pittsburgh PA

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Mouth Care in Nursing Homes: Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices of Nursing Assistants, Geriatric Nursing, March 2009, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2008.06.010.
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