For nurses working in LTC
GeriMedRisk is an interdisciplinary telemedicine consultation and education service for doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists in Ontario. Using telephone and eConsult, clinicians receive a coordinated response to questions regarding optimizing medications, mental health and comorbidities in older adult patients from a team of geriatric specialists and pharmacists. GeriMedRisk is a not-for-profit service for clinicians.
Oral health of residents should be a priority. The Ontario CLRI partnered with La Cité Collégiale in an effort to increase access to oral care resources for long-term care (LTC) homes.
Many LTC residents find it difficult to access a traditional dental office due to transportation, physical, and financial limitations. In an effort to improve access to oral care in LTC homes, the Ontario CLRI piloted a partnership with a local college’s dental hygiene program to develop a placement program, resources, and tools. The partnership sparked the creation of both an animated video outlining why oral care is important and a publication describing the partnership model, as well as the translation of the Oral Health Assessment Tool.
There is growing awareness around the importance of oral care for overall health. LTC residents are particularly vulnerable to several risk factors for poor oral health that can lead to oral bacterial disease, bad breath, mouth sores, and pneumonia. Establishing partnerships with the dental hygiene community can bring oral health expertise on-site.
Mouth Matters Video – An animated video that presents to staff and caregivers why oral care is important.
Oral Health Assessment Tool Translation – The purpose of this initiative was to produce a French translation of the OHAT that is acceptable to users — nurses and dental hygienists — and is conceptually and metrically equivalent to the English version originally developed.
Oral Health Partnership Brochure – This brochure describes a partnership between Ottawa’s Saint-Louis Residence (SLR) LTC home and the dental hygiene program at La Cité Collégiale. For a copy of the full report, please contact info@clri-ltc.ca
Supported by:
Designed to enhance nursing, personal support worker and allied health gerontological specialty knowledge in the early identification and care of older adults living with frailty at risk of acute deterioration.
The Ontario CLRI at Baycrest offers summer fellowships for students in the health professions to help encourage Ontario’s future geriatric leaders. Applications for our 2022 virtual summer internship are now closed and will re-open in February 2023.
