Abstract
Background and Objectives
Cognitive impairment is associated with poor oral health outcomes. Oral hygiene tasks are an essential target of interventions aiming to improve oral health for older adults with cognitive impairment. We aimed to examine whether experiences in an oral health intervention based on the Adaptative Leadership Framework for Chronic Illness (ALFCI) differed between individuals with mild cognitive impairment or dementia and their respective care partners.
Research Design and Methods
This was a secondary analysis using directed content analysis and then an interpretive-description approach to analyze the data from a theory-driven intervention study. We included 10 people with MCI and their care partners (n=20) and eight people with MD and their care partners (n=16) in the treatment arm of the intervention. For each participant, we analyzed audio recordings of four intervention coaching sessions, each ranging between 30 to 45 minutes. We managed the data and coding using ATLAS.TI software.
Results
Participants in both the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia (MD) groups experienced similar challenges in adapting to changes in oral hygiene techniques; and both groups worked on learning new oral hygiene techniques taught by the dental hygienist and meeting individualized goals developed with their care partner, interventionist, and hygienist. On the other hand, there were subtle differences in technical challenges between participants in MCI and MD groups; participants in the MCI group reacted more actively to dental hygienist suggestions than the MD group.
Discussion and Implications
Study findings provide information about how researchers and clinicians might tailor interventions to meet the learning needs of individuals and care partners in each group.
