Family perceptions of mouth care for assisted living residents with dementia: Implications for care.
Sarah G Lowman, Sheryl Zimmerman, Kimberly Ward and 1 others
PMID 34098447WHAT IT FOUND
Families of assisted living residents with dementia saw mouth care as vital to eating, comfort, confidence and safety.
They described staff time, turnover and inconsistent routines as barriers, and asked for clear communication, oversight and collaboration.
Key findings
01All participants said mouth care is important, and 61% disagreed that other care needs should take priority over mouth care.
02Participants linked mouth care to disease prevention, quality of life, and financial concerns.
03They reported staffing, policies, leadership, turnover, limited time, and inconsistent routines as influences on mouth care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only family members were interviewed, not residents or assisted living staff, so the study cannot show what care was actually delivered. The sample was small and limited to 9 assisted living communities in one state; all communities had previously participated in a mouth-care training program, and 7 of 20 contacted sites declined to provide family contacts. Participants were 18 female and 19 non-Hispanic white, and the majority had a college degree, so the views may not represent all families. Data were collected just before the state declared a COVID-19 emergency, so family involvement and service expectations may have changed. Qualitative interviews produce perceptions and themes, not effects or tested recommendations.
Declared interests
The supplied article text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration. The journal metadata lists support from NIH extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this paper as evidence that mouth care prevents pneumonia, tooth loss, pain, or choking. It describes what families believed and wanted, not what happened to residents after a tested intervention.