Randomised clinical trial: Efficacy of strategies to provide oral hygiene activities to nursing home residents with dementia who resist mouth care. (13th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jablonski, Rita A.; Kolanowski, Ann M.; Azuero, Andres; Winstead, Vicki; Jones‐Townsend, Corteza; Geisinger, Maria L.
• Is Part Of: Gerodontology. Volume 35:Number 4(2018)
• Page Start: 365
• Page End: 375
• Publication Date: 2018-07-13
• Subjects: care‐rejection -- care‐resistant behaviour -- dementia -- nursing home -- oral health -- resistiveness to care; Older people -- Dental care -- Periodicals; 617.60846
• DOI: 10.1111/ger.12357
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0734-0664

Abstract

Abstract : Objectives: The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of MOUTh (Managing Oral Hygiene Using Threat Reduction), a nonpharmacologic, relationship‐based intervention vs. control on 2 primary outcomes for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia who resisted mouth care: (i) reduction in the occurrence and intensity of care‐resistant behaviours (CRBs) and (ii) improvement in oral health. Two secondary outcomes were also examined: (i) the duration of mouth care and (ii) the completion of oral hygiene activities. Background: Persons with dementia who exhibit CRBs are at risk for inadequate mouth care and subsequent systemic illnesses. Materials and methods: The study used a randomised repeated measures design. Recruitment occurred in 9 nursing homes that varied in size, ownership, reimbursement patterns and location. One hundred and one nursing home residents with dementia were randomised at the individual level to experimental (n = 55) or control groups (n = 46). One hundred participants provided data for the analyses. Results: Compared to the control group, persons in the experimental group had twice the odds of allowing mouth care and completing oral hygiene activities; they also allowed longer duration of mouth care ( d = 0.56), but showed only small reductions in the intensity of CRBs ( d = 0.16) and small differential improvements in oral health ( d = 0.18). Conclusion: The data suggest that this intervention facilitates mouth care among persons with dementia. The management of refusal behaviour may be a clinically more realistic approach than reducing or eradicating refusals.