Reaching Out To Aged Care Dental
Did you know that aged care residents have poorer oral health than those living in the general community?
This is often due to:
• Physical and cognitive impairments
• Dependency on others for oral care
• No interest in their own oral health, not getting check-ups, etc.
• Limited access to oral health care professionals
• Lack of training for carers and staff in caring for resident’s natural teeth and dentures
• Low priority area for the facility
Link HC’s General Manager of Medical and Oral Wellbeing Dr Felicia Valianatos, is now leading the charge in making positive changes in this field and has developed in partnership, a training and awareness program for local aged care facilities.
Together with our partners, Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV), Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) and Eastern Metropolitan Region Oral Health Network (EMROHN), we have developed a program that:
• Screens resident’s oral health needs
• Identifies resident’s oral health needs
• Provides preventative treatments
• Integrates oral care into their health plans
• Upskills the RACF staff to better care for dentures and oral health
We also worked with RACF dietitians and kitchen staff to review menus and developed posters and other materials to help prompt the residents and staff to better care for their teeth.
For more information about this program, please contact Dr Felicia Valianatos on 1300 552 509.
