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Strategies for conducting dental examinations among cognitively impaired nursing home residents
Author(s) -
KayserJones Jeanie,
Bird William F.,
Redford Maryann,
Schell Ellen S.,
Einhorn Sheri H.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.1996.tb00833.x
Subject(s) - medicine , nursing homes , nursing , cognitive impairment , oral health , qualitative research , cognition , family medicine , psychiatry , social science , sociology
Many nursing home residents have poor oral health and are in need of treatment. A major barrier to pre viding care is the difficulty of examining cognitively impaired elders. In two research studies, 625 exams were conducted on 181 nursing home residents, the majority of whom suffered severe cognitive impairment. Qualitative data collected during the course of these two studies revealed strategies that permitted examiners to conduct the examinations successfully, including developing rapport with the residents, providing a quiet environment, and enlisting the help of the primary caregiver. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among health professionals, especially dentists and nurses, is discussed.