COVID-19 exposed deficiencies in the Australian Health system. This includes the problematic situation of oral healthcare of older people in residential care.
During the pandemic, dental professionals were required to limit dental services to emergency and urgent procedures because of the infection risks that are linked with aerosol-generated procedures and the shortage in the supply lines of personal protective equipment. However, despite these challenges, we should not fail to recognize the important role of nurses in this particular matter.
Oral health is an important factor in healthy aging and promoting this in community and hospital settings can be handed over to nurses. Through their dedicated and courageous service, nurses can still provide substantial support to the health sector, especially during a pandemic.
They can give assistance to general health services. They can also screen oral health and determine the need for referral to a dental professional. They can provide valuable education to family members and caregivers. Nurses can also facilitate counseling and attend patients for evaluation to determine the need for emergency dental treatment.
Aside from these roles, they are well-versed in terms of understanding older people who experience kinds of impairment and difficulties that come along with their age.
Aged care communities have become the most vulnerable sector for COVID-19. Due to an array of risk factors, elderly people are at a higher risk of contracting the virus and get sick.
Because of this, many older people received multiple medications to alleviate the risk factors, leading to oral conditions that increase the risk of oral disease, which then triggers general health problems.
While COVID-19 has a viral origin, older people with COVID-19 developed complications from bacterial superinfections due to poor oral health. This made their bodies susceptible to further infection, increasing the risk of complications.
Nurse’s leadership in maintaining and promoting oral health for elderly people can gradually reduce the risk. Major oral complications can be prevented as long as the direct intervention of a health professional is well facilitated and managed and it is here where the nurse's leadership would enter.
Dental services administered by dental professionals can be accessible at times. This is a concern that must not be neglected at all. While there is an ongoing lapse in terms of dental service for older people, nurses can provide valuable back up for dental professionals.
One should acknowledge that there is a need to ensure that oral health care should reach all older Australians and how nurses can execute a crucial role in these times.
