Dysphagia Training for SLT’s – Awareness Level

This is a 2 hour free online course (by Goodfellow Unit) with a final quiz, awarding a 2 hours CPD certificate. The content has been devised for speech and language therapists (SLT) to ensure Education SLTs are able to provide the following services as laid out in the joint Operational Protocol:

Monitor and support the implementation of the Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Plan in an educational context
Provide advice and guidance to educational facilities to ensure implementation of Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Plans
Liaise with and refer to Child Development Services or Child Health Services (as relevant) where a referral or review is required
Support Health SLTs to develop an Eating, Drinking and Swallowing Plan.

Dysphagia: Swallowing difficulties and medicines

Another free online dysphagia course by University of East Anglia titled “Dysphagia: Swallowing difficulties and medicines” runs 2 hour weekly, for 6 weeks.

Lifelong Smiles for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities: A Resource for Oral Health Professionals

Course Description

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often experience challenges with daily oral hygiene, have more untreated dental caries, and have a higher prevalence of gingivitis and other periodontal diseases than the general population, all of which can affect their oral function, overall health, quality of life, and longevity. These individuals commonly face significant access-to-care barriers and challenges in receiving dental care.

The Lifelong Smiles for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities online course is designed to help you, the oral health professional, more effectively connect with and support clients with ID in maintaining good oral health over their lifetime. The four-module course , developed by dental hygienists, is made possible through a partnership with Special Olympics BC and the Golisano Foundation’s Healthy Communities program.

This course is free for now, and will take around 3.5 hours to complete.

Dementia Education Tool for Dental Practitioner

A Dementia Education Tool for Dental Practitioner was developed in partnership with the Australian Dental Association (ADA) and jointly developed by dentists, medical practitioners and people living with dementia and their carers, to educate dentists and dental professionals on best practice care for people living with dementia.

The education modules encourage dentists to continue treating people living with dementia, to focus treatment on preventative methods and have a strong emphasis on quality of life. Follow this link to their website to download for FREE: Education Tool for Dental Practitioner.

This project was funded by the Dementia Australia National Quality Dementia Care Initiative with support from J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust.

Domiciliary oral health care

Domiciliary care, or home care, is the delivery of care services (such as nursing, screening, and oral health) in the home, or the facility of the person. This model of care although lacking in the typical equipment that a full fledge dental clinic has, makes up for it with flexibility, mobility and convenience for the patient. Usually, simple treatment like oral health screening, hand scaling, fluoride treatment, or brushing can be done. With an established inventory, atraumatic restorations, extractions, even portable x-rays can be done also.

The British Society of Disability and Oral Health has put together valuable guidelines in 2009 on how to implement or design such a service. By accessing this group of individuals who can become marginalised due to physical accessibility, various needs report was placed together to indicate the unmet needs. Consent, is required prior to domiciliary screening services, and even if treatment cannot be carried out, oral hygiene instructions can be advised and catered to the person.

Domiciliary oral health services are carried out mainly by pro-bono or charitable organisations. The beneficiaries include nursing homes, hospices, day care centres etc.