Oral Care for Older patients with Dementia

Oral Care for Older patients with Dementia

Introduction

Dementia causes the cognitive functions to progressively degenerate among the patients. Among the older patients of this disease, common behaviors are: suspiciousness, resistance to care givers and sundowning become persistent. These patients suffer from anxiety and are in a constant state of confusion (Maas & Buckwalter, 1990). They have difficulties recognizing their care takers, and this causes several dilemmas for the nurses taking care of such patients. Administrating oral care in the older adults with Alzheimer's disease is an essential responsibility of the nurses. As they have to ensure ...