Oral hygiene care for Alzheimer's patients

Alzheimer’s patients, as time passes, experience increasing brain deterioration—not only do their memories of various events decline,
but it also affects their ability to take care of themselves, making them less able to do so.

During that period, Dad began refusing to bathe, wash his face, and brush his teeth. From being willing to do it himself on some days, it changed to not being willing to do it at all, until the day he could no longer remember how to bathe or brush his teeth, and couldn’t rinse his mouth.

Since oral cleaning is still necessary, if the patient still cooperates with toothbrushing, they should be encouraged to continue consistently. But if they refuse to cooperate

The first and easiest way to care for it is to drink plain water after meals to rinse away any food debris that may remain, and drinking water between meals can also help reduce the amount of bacteria
in the mouth. Or, if the patient is willing to rinse with plain water or with mouthwash, it will help clean even more.

In cases where brushing teeth or rinsing is not possible, the caregiver should help maintain cleanliness by using sterile gauze soaked in mouthwash, wrapping it around a finger, and wiping the inside of the mouth, the inner cheeks, and the tongue after meals. A precaution for this method is that if the patient still has teeth, they may bite the caregiver’s finger, and you must not forget to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after,
or wear gloves every time for good hygiene.

Nowadays, even though Dad is no longer fed by mouth, cleaning the mouth 2–3 times a day still needs to be done every day to reduce the amount of bacteria in the mouth, which this method
It helps reduce the chance of developing a lung infection that may occur. Oral hygiene is a small, close-to-home matter that should not be overlooked.

#CaringForAlzheimersPatients #CaringForBedriddenPatients #CaringForParents

Article by Pharmacist Rungmit Chunhengphan (female)
Founder of Piti lotion for nourishing and restoring dry, itchy skin