Performing Oral Health Assessments on Aging Patients

Performing Oral Health Assessments on Aging Patients

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• Learning Objectives

  Students will:

  • Develop interprofessional and oral health skills with older adults.
  • Assess oral health in older adult.
  • Describe the role of the nurse when providing oral health care to older adults.

• Learner Pre-Work

  This teaching strategy incorporates the ACE.S Essential Nursing Actions: Assess Function and Expectations, Coordinate and Manage Care, and Make Situational Decisions. The strategy utilizes the Smiles for Life curriculum from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. Access the Smiles for Life Curriculum at http://www.smilesforlifeoralhealth.org. 

  Have students read the following article, which offers an educational and clinical innovation designed to promote interprofessional oral health workforce capacity:

  Haber, J., Hartnett, E., Allen, K., Hallas, D., Dorsen, C., Lange-Kessler, J., … Wholihan, D. (2015). Putting the mouth back in the head: HEENT to HEENOT. American Journal of Public Health, 105(3), 437-441. Retrieved from http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302495

  Ask students to read the Caries Management by Risk Assessment Oral Health delivery Framework: http://www.safetynetmedicalhome.org/sites/default/files/oral-health-delivery-framework.pdf

  Ask the students to pay special attention to the framework, which provides a guide for assessment of oral health for older adults.

• Suggested Learning Activities

  Utilizing the Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) Age > 6 form and the Oral Health Delivery Framework, ask the students to assess their older adult patients for oral health.  Students can do this assessment in both acute and long-term care settings.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Student will implement Oral Health Delivery framework in caring for older adult

  ASK – about oral health of older adult using the Oral Health Risk Assessment Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) Age > 6

  LOOK – perform an oral health exam on the older adult using HEENOT and the Smiles for Life Module 7 

  • List the important points to look for in the oral physical examination (HEENOT) :

  • Lips, tongue, mucous membranes, teeth

   

  DECIDE ­ your nursing diagnosis for the oral health needs of the older adult in the community.

  • Develop a patient-centered management plan that includes oral health interventions.
  • Develop a risk profile that includes oral and oral–systemic health problems.
  • List potential problems.

   

  ACT –   Name three preventive oral health interventions you will implement.

  List two oral health referral sources in the community for the older adult.

  DOCUMENT – Student will document oral health assessment in Typhon.

• Suggested Reading

  Hunt, R. (2012). Health promotion and disease and injury prevention for older adults. Introduction to Community-Based Nursing. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer. 

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Aging Publications 
  The above link provides information and statistics regarding chronic disease and wellbeing of older adults.
  
  Jablonski, R. A., Therrien, B., & Kolanowski, A. (2011). No more fighting and biting during mouth care: Applying the theoretical constructs of threat perception to clinical practice. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 25(3), 163-175. doi:10.1891/1541-6577.25.3.163

  Hummel, J., Phillips, K. E., Holt, B., & Hayes, C. (2015). Oral health: An essential component of primary care. Qualis Health. Retrieved from http://www.safetynetmedicalhome.org/sites/default/files/White-Paper-Oral-Health-Primary-Care.pdf

  The Try This:® Series from the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing (HIGN) at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing contains many evidence-based assessment tools. The tool, an article about using the tool, and a video illustrating the use of the tool, are all available for your use.

• Author Information

  Erin Hartnett, DNP, APRN-BC, CPNP

  NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing

  New York, NY