Improving Evidence-Based Oral Health of Nursing Home Residents Through Coaching by Dental Hygienists

Lisa Volk; Melony Spock; Philip D Sloane; Sheryl Zimmerman

doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2019.09.022

Improving Evidence-Based Oral Health of Nursing Home Residents Through Coaching by Dental Hygienists

J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020 Feb;21(2):281-283. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.09.022. Epub 2019 Nov 25.

Authors

Lisa Volk¹, Melony Spock², Philip D Sloane³, Sheryl Zimmerman⁴

Affiliations

¹ New York State Health Facilities Association, New York State Health Center for Assisted Living, Foundation for Quality Care, Albany, NY. Electronic address: [email protected].
² New York State Health Facilities Association, New York State Health Center for Assisted Living, Foundation for Quality Care, Albany, NY.
³ Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
⁴ Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research and Schools of Social Work and Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

PMID: 31780411
DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2019.09.022

Abstract

Good oral hygiene has an impact on the overall health of residents in long-term care; however, significant improvement is needed in nursing homes. A "boots on the ground" project was developed that incorporates Mouth Care without a Battle, an evidence-based approach to person-centered daily mouth care, into 22 New York State nursing homes using a coaching model with part-time dental hygienists. This report discusses implementation of the quality improvement project, which improved the quality of daily mouth care provided to nursing home residents, as well as changed the knowledge and attitudes of the staff providing their care, all supported by regional dental hygienist coaches.

Keywords: Coaches; dementia; nursing homes; oral care.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Dental Hygienists*
Evidence-Based Dentistry
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Male
New York
Nursing Homes*
Oral Health*
Oral Hygiene / education*
Oral Hygiene Index
Patient-Centered Care*
Quality Improvement