GUARANTEE OF THE RIGHT TO ORAL HEALTH OF THE ELDERLY: PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION IN LONG-TERM CARE INSTITUTIONS AS AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY

Abstract

The aging process observed worldwide, added to the new characteristics and social standards, has generated an increase in the demand for Long-Term Care Institutions for the Elderly (LTCF), which become responsible for the care and assistance of the elderly, including oral health. However, the professionals who work in these institutions are not always prepared to perform this task. Institutionalized older adults often have poor oral hygiene and poor oral health conditions. In view of this reality, and the understanding that oral health is a human right and a duty of the State, the need arose to carry out an intervention project to qualify the professionals of an LTCF located in the territory covered by a Family Health Team. This article is a report of this experience, carried out through workshops and conversation circles, mixing moments of knowledge exchange with theoretical and practical demonstrations. The intervention took place between May and June 2023, with the dentist from the oral health team as a facilitator. The actions had a positive impact on the participants, leading them to awareness and greater concern with issues related to oral hygiene and health, which directly reflected in the change in the institution's care routine, in addition to guaranteeing the basic rights of access to health promotion actions, acting to minimize the inequities faced by this vulnerable portion of the population.