Cornwall Partners in Care News

Free Mouth Care Matters Training: Older Adults in Care Homes

Smile:Together are pleased to offer a free training programme, Mouth Care Matters: Older Adults in Care Homes, designed specifically to support care home teams in delivering high-quality oral care to residents.

Book your place here.

Good oral health is essential to overall wellbeing, dignity, and quality of life, particularly for older adults. This training programme aims to equip staff with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to provide effective daily mouth care, recognise potential oral health issues, and know when to seek professional support.
The programme will cover key areas including:

• The importance of oral health in older adults
• Practical mouth care techniques
• Supporting residents with varying levels of need, including those with dementia
• Recognising common oral health problems
• Promoting consistent and effective oral care practices across your team.

The training involves access to six short online educational videos, supported by learning resources and materials to reinforce key messages and support implementation in practice.

To support quality improvement, the programme will also involve the completion of a simple audit before and after the training, helping to measure progress and demonstrate improvements in oral care practice.

To make this as accessible as possible, only one member of staff is required to complete the training, who will then take on the role of an Oral Health Champion within your home. They will be supported to share learning with colleagues and promote good oral care practices across the wider team.

In addition, we will provide ongoing support sessions to help reinforce learning, address any challenges, and support your team in embedding good oral health practices into everyday care.

As this training is being offered free of charge, it provides an excellent opportunity for your home to enhance staff knowledge and further support the health and wellbeing of your residents, while also supporting best practice standards.

We would be delighted to work with your team and support you in implementing this important aspect of care. If you are interested in taking part or would like further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you for your continued commitment to providing excellent care.

Natalie Peary
Smarter Smiles
E: smiletogether.smarter.smile@nhs.net
P: 01872 491 432