FYI - Oral Care.021004.pmd

Short Description
Oral Care for the Patient with ALS: A Guide for the Caregiver. Introduction … that encompasses oral care and its impact on people with ALS. …

Website: www.alsa.org | Filesize: 148kb

Content
The ALS Association, 27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150, Calabasas Hills, CA 91301-5104,
Phone: (880) 782-4747 / Fax: (818) 880-9006 / E-mail: alsinfo@alsa-national.org / Website: www.alsa.org
Oral Care for the Patient with ALS: A Guide for the Caregiver
Introduction
Most people perform activities throughout the day without thinking, but for the person with ALS
many simple activities can become tiresome, time-consuming chores. Yet, while it may take a little
longer to complete these tasks, independence and autonomy are vital to a patient’s well-being and
quality of life. Your role as caregiver may includes providing assistance and care for loved ones to
make these tasks less fatiguing. The time may come when your loved one can no longer perform
these tasks and will rely on the help of others to meet these needs. It is important in providing care to
maintain open communication in order to make your loved one as comfortable as possible.
Considering all the responsibilities a caregiver may have, it can be easy to overlook non-urgent
things that need attention. For example, oral care may often be neglected because patients can have
difficulty expressing their…