Oral Hygiene and Self-Care in Older Adults with Dementia

The devastating diagnosis of dementia has significant impacts on an older adult, especially on his or her general and oral health. Impacts upon family members also need to be considered. Caregivers, who are usually family members, lack caregiver training and can find it difficult to provide oral hyg...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Generations (San Francisco, Calif.) Calif.), 2016-10, Vol.40 (3), p.43-48
Main Authors: Taverna, Melanie V., Nguyen, Carol A., Hicks, Beatriz M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of daily living
Adults
Alzheimer's disease
Baby boomers
Biofilms
Caregivers
Caregiving
Cognitive ability
Dementia
Dental Care For Older Adults
Dentists
Disease prevention
Families & family life
Fluorides
Hygiene
Medical personnel
Older people
oral healthcare and the aging adult
Pain
Patients
Population
Quality of life
Senility
Teeth
Training
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The devastating diagnosis of dementia has significant impacts on an older adult, especially on his or her general and oral health. Impacts upon family members also need to be considered. Caregivers, who are usually family members, lack caregiver training and can find it difficult to provide oral hygiene care and denture care. Older adults with dementia often suffer needlessly because they have difficulty communicating about oral pain or discomfort to caregivers, family, and health professionals. This article discusses the different types of dementia and how they impact oral care delivery; the caregiver role in administering dental hygiene and oral care; and lists resources for assistance with necessary oral care services.
ISSN:0738-7806
2694-5126