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Oral health strategy for the older people in social protection centers in Villavicencio, Colombia

Claudia Patricia Rodas Avellaneda (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
María del Pilar Angarita Díaz (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
Luis Francisco Nemocon Ramírez (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
Luis Alexys Pinzón Castro (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
Yenny Tatiana Robayo Herrera (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
Ines Leonilde Rodriguez Baquero (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)
Rocio del Pilar González Sanchez (Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia, Villavicencio, Colombia)

Working with Older People

ISSN: 1366-3666

Article publication date: 14 July 2017

Issue publication date: 17 August 2017

103

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design and to implement an oral health educational strategy that targeted an older population residing in three social protection centers (SPC) in Villavicencio, Colombia.

Design/methodology/approach

The first phase consisted in determining the oral health of older citizens in the SPC. To do this, the research group gathered patients’ personal information and indices. The second phase consisted in the development of an educational strategy based on the population’s requirements. The educational strategy, focusing on oral hygiene and denture care, was implemented for the older people and their caregivers. The third and final phase consisted in the research group measuring the effect of the designed strategy by repeating oral diagnoses for the older people six months after strategy implementation.

Findings

The results of the assessment indicated that implementing a strategy to strengthen oral hygiene care was positive, given that statistically significant reductions were observed in the soft plaque index and the Gingival Index (p<0.05).

Research limitations/implications

As a result of the complexity of the population, the data obtained after the strategy was implemented were significantly reduced. However, these results indicate that an educational strategy can have an effect on this type of population.

Originality/value

Implementing a strategy that promotes oral hygiene education and brushing skills, fosters good oral behavior and helps the older people in SPC to remember the information taught, thus contributing to their oral hygiene.

Keywords

Citation

Rodas Avellaneda, C.P., Angarita Díaz, M.d.P., Nemocon Ramírez, L.F., Pinzón Castro, L.A., Robayo Herrera, Y.T., Rodriguez Baquero, I.L. and González Sanchez, R.d.P. (2017), "Oral health strategy for the older people in social protection centers in Villavicencio, Colombia", Working with Older People, Vol. 21 No. 3, pp. 167-177. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-04-2017-0010

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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