Sensitizing Family Caregivers to Influence Treatment Compliance among Elderly Neglected Patients—A 2-Year Longitudinal Study Outcome in Completely Edentulous Patients

Abstract

Healthcare workers have reported a certain segment of geriatric patients that are suffering from abuse/neglect, which in turn has been associated with anxiety, depression, and helplessness in the individual. Family caregivers (blood relations), being the most common perpetrators of elder abuse and neglect (EAN), have also been shown to respond to sensitization if the type of EAN and the interventions are appropriate. This study was aimed to comparatively analyze the influence of intervention (psychotherapeutic sensitization of FCG) upon long-term (24 months) treatment maintenance and satisfaction in elderly neglected patients. One hundred and fifty patients (aged 41–80 years) suffering from elder neglect (EN) (self-confession) and their respective FCGs, fulfilling the study criteria, participated in this longitudinal 2-year study. The patients were randomly distributed (simple random, convenient) in two equal groups (75 each), namely Group (GP) A (control) and GP B (test). A standardized, complete denture treatment was initiated for all the participants. Both the FCGs and the patients of GP B were sensitized (psychotherapeutic education) for EN, while there was no such intervention in GP A. The influence of such intervention was measured for denture maintenance [denture plaque index (DPI) scores] and treatment satisfaction (10-point visual analog scale). Absolute/relative frequencies and means were major calculations during data analysis. Differences between the groups for any treatment compliance parameter was done through the unpaired t-test, while Karl Pearson’s test determined the level of relationship between variables (p-value < 0.05). Decrease in mean DPI scores (suggesting improvement) was seen among patients in GP A from 1 month (m = 2.92) to 24 months (m = 2.77). A negligible increase in DPI scores was observed among patients of GP B from 1 month (m = 1.38) to 24 months (m = 1.44). Differences in mean values between the two groups were statistically significant at 24-month intervals, while the relationship between the variables was nonsignificant. FCG sensitization through psychotherapeutic education shows a long-term positive influence on the treatment compliance (maintenance and satisfaction). Identifying the existence of EAN among geriatric patients, followed by psychotherapeutic education of FCGs is recommended for routine medical and dental long-duration treatment procedures.

Denture Plaque Biofilm Visual Assessment Methods: A Systematic Review

“…After the removal of duplicates and other exclusion criteria, 492 studies were screened, and of these, 128 were shortlisted for inclusion based on the screening of their titles and abstracts. The full text of shortlisted studies was assessed for eligibility, and finally, 74 studies 4 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , …”

“…An overwhelming, 19 studies 12 , 20 , 21 , 25 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 33 , 39 , 41 , 63 , 66 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 79 , 81 , 84 assessed acrylic dentures, and only a single study 52 investigated metallic dentures, whereas another 43 investigated both acrylic and metallic dentures; the remaining 53 studies 4 , 9 , 10 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 39 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 66 ...…”

“…The totally included 74 studies were split into two sub-categories as per the assessment methods. Accordingly, 18 studies 10 , 12 , 25 , 30 , 31 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 79 , 80 , 81 used planimetries while 60 studies 4 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , ...…”

“…Of the 60 studies using denture plaque indices with naked eye assessment, 4 , 11 , 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 78 , 82 , 83 , 84 a vast majority 46 assessed the actual dentures, 4 , 11 , 18 , 20 , 21 ,…”

“… 12 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 23 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 36 , 52 , 56 , 67 One study did not mention the assessed item. 66 Twenty-three studies examined the maxillary dentures only, 4 , 11 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 21 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 43 , 45 , 50 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 67 , 83 , 84 17 studies examined both the maxillary and mandibular dentures, 12 , 18 , 19 , 22 , 23 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 48 , 57 , 58 , 62 , 63 , 65 and 12 studies examined either the maxillary or the mandibular dentures. 28 , 32 , 39 , 44 , 46 ,…”