Providing quality oral health care for the growing elderly population is a major challenge,
particularly for those residing in long-term care institutions. The Surgeon General's
report on oral health in America (2000) noted that elders are at particularly high
risk for oral health problems, and poor oral health in seniors has been linked to
general systemic health risks such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, poor nutrition,
and respiratory infection. This article outlines the need for greater attention to
oral health care for the elderly in both nursing education and practice, and describes
opportunities for effective inter-professional collaboration between nursing and oral
health professionals. It also provides specific recommendations for fostering such
collaboration. Working together, nurses and dental professionals can raise awareness
of this issue, promote higher standards for oral care, and improve oral health and
quality of life for elderly Americans.
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Biography
Patricia Coleman is a John A. Hartford Foundation Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar and a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY.
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© 2005 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
