Benefits
- Improved oral hygiene and mouth care
- Improved personal care and enjoyment of personal care routine
- Able to smile confidently
- Continues to enjoy all his favorite foods
- Maintains dignity of resident
Background and challenges
As is common for people living with dementia, Philip, a resident at Neville Williams House, sometimes refused personal care or could become distressed during a task. Our BCOP team are always keen to find new ways to make tasks within personal care more acceptable to individuals, and therefore they become less likely to be refused. Dentists often sadly see a deterioration in the condition of the teeth of those with dementia.
Maintaining good oral health is important for everyone, helping prevent problems like cavities, infections and pain. However, people with dementia are more prone to tooth decay and gum disease. This may be because they find it difficult to follow an oral hygiene routine, or because they cannot express that they have a toothache, meaning problems go untreated.
Solution
Philips’ key worker knew that he had a particular enjoyment of certain music, so devised a game for the oral hygiene task. Philip would now brush his teeth in time to the music he enjoyed.
Although that sounds like a small change, we know that these little things matter. Philips’ morning and evening routine became something he visibly enjoyed. It’s wonderful to see him presented as the dapper man always was, retaining his dignity where often dementia can steal it away.
Results
When his wife took Philip to the dentist for a check-up, the dentist had been pleasantly surprised and shocked at the excellent condition of this his teeth, knowing that this is often a difficult area for care staff to maintain. The dentist described the his teeth as being ‘in tiptop condition’.
This enables the Philip to smile confidently and to continue to enjoy all the food he loves.
If you’d like to know more about mouth care for people with dementia, you can read more here and download an excellent guide from Dementia UK here
