Providing oral care at end of life is one of the most important things you can do for your loved one. It's a way you can show care, love and provide your loved one with comfort and pain relief.
Simple and effective, oral care will assist to hydrate the mouth, prevent bad breath, keep the mouth clean, prevent bacteria, improve your loved ones self esteem and provide them with dignity.
Oral care is easy to provide and doesn't take much time, anyone can provide oral care! Here are some basic products you will need:
- Mouth/Oral Sponges (available from pharmacies or online) Tip: Say you are looking for mouth sponges for a palliative patient.
- Extra soft toothbrush
- Non abrasive toothpaste
- Dry mouth oral rinse
- Water based dry mouth spray/Gel (Biotene or Colgate are reputable brands)
- Lip balm
I have added a couple of really good YouTube videos below. The first one is about the importance of oral care and the second is a really good oral care demonstration. Please note that I am not affiliated with these videos, they are just resources that I like to recommend to those wanting to provide care for their loved ones at home. This is not Australian content however rest assured that the process, concept and products used are universal.
I really hope you find these resources helpful xxx
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