Integrating Oral Care Into Nurse‐Led Models: A Critical Step to Reduce Pneumonia in Older Adults
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: To the Editor, Our clinical experience points to a critical gap in the care of hospitalized older adults: oral hygiene.We have seen firsthand how this gap in preventive care increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia, a dangerous complication for which risk might be reduced.This is why the discussion around strengthening nurse-led geriatric models, such as the INTERCARE protocol by Zúñiga et al. [1], is so important.While their initiative is a vital step toward better care, we contend it will not be complete without making systematic oral hygiene a core component for preventing these hospital-acquired harms.
DOI: 10.1111/jgs.70308
Authors: Jing Yang, Yuanyan Bai
Institution: Sichuan University
Language: English
Subfield: Speech and Hearing
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7129625868