Home-based oral healthcare strategies of elderly people with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Objective: To identify strategies used in the oral health care of elderly persons with Alzheimer's disease in the home. Method: an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach to collecting and analyzing data was performed. Data was collected through interviews with 30 caregivers and analyzed by the content analysis technique. Results: The majority of subjects were female, daughters of the elderly person, university graduates and aged 32-77 years. The strategies identified were grouped into categories according to the participation of the caregiver: does not participate in care actions or oral health assessments; reminds the elderly person about oral hygiene, demonstrates movements and assists with some procedures; directly carries out actions of care. Conclusion: The strategies employed are related to the degree of dependence of the elderly person, as the caregiver acts based on the need for oral health care and the difficulties in carrying out such care.

O impacto das condições bucais na qualidade de vida de cuidadores domiciliares de idosos e práticas em saúde bucal

“…The profile of the caregiver obtained on this study was similar to the one found on literature 4,6 . They are informal caregivers, It is necessary to emphasize that, in the case of the evaluated elderly, the use of superior prothesis was higher than the inferior ones, and it did not necessarily correspond to a higher jaw edentulism.…”

“…When the elderly loses the ability to feed itself, in most cases, it also cannot perform oral hygiene cares. In these cases, the caregivers are the main providers, and the planning of the oral health care depends on the perception of these caregivers and their knowledge of oral health and hygiene 5,6 .…”

Clinical and self-perceived oral health assessment of elderly residents in urban, rural, and institutionalized communities

“…Studies have indicated that self-perception may contribute to the direction and planning of dental services 19,20, contrary to the results presented herein since self-perception was positive even in the presence of precarious clinical conditions. This may be because most elderly people (and also their caregivers and family members) tend to consider oral issues secondary to other systemic problems 9,21.…”

(Geronto)Tecnologias cuidativas para pessoas idosas com doença de Alzheimer e suas famílias: contribuição de oficinas de sensibilização/capacitação

“…The aging process makes the human being more susceptible to chronic diseases of progressive character, as is the case of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is responsible for approximately 50 to 75% of dementias in several countries 1 . In Brazil, it is estimated that one million people are affected by AD; however, there is still not much data regarding its incidence in the country 2 .…”

“…Public policies, in the context of the health of old people, recommend the use of creative strategies that favor communication between professional, subject and group 5 . Thus, some professionals, teaching and health institutions have invested efforts in the context of Gerontology, in the understanding and use of gerontotechnological possibilities 6 .…”