The connection between oral care and malnutrition deserves more attention than it often gets. A recent study published in Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics found that frailty and poor masticatory performance, meaning the ability to crush and grind food for swallowing and digestion, were associated with a higher risk of malnutrition in older adults. Researchers also found that better dietary well-being was associated with a lower risk of malnutrition, especially among older adults living with chronic disease.
As the authors explained in the study, frail older adults are clearly a priority group for dental and oral healthcare, but care should not stop there. Early, preventive interventions that help maintain dentition, chewing function, and daily oral self-care may help reduce the risk of malnutrition and delay the onset of frailty. The authors also suggested that adding basic oral health assessments to geriatric nutrition screening may help identify at-risk individuals earlier and guide the right interventions.
How many of your residents are living with weight loss or nutritional lab values outside the normal range? When was the last time your QAPI committee took a deeper dive into the prevalence of weight loss to identify the root cause? Do you have regularly scheduled dental clinics with a dentist or hygienist? It is not always easy, and outside resources can be hard to find, but when you think about the value that could bring to even one resident, it is worth exploring.
McKnight’s also highlighted findings showing that strong chewing ability may help reduce frailty risk, reinforcing the same message. Residents with poorer chewing performance were more likely to be at risk of malnutrition. That makes oral care and malnutrition an important area for every community to watch more closely.
If you already have the luxury of dental services in your community, this may be a good study to share with that provider. Weight loss and malnutrition are not a normal part of aging. Take a few laps around your dining room. Observe residents while they dine. Watch for signs of chewing or swallowing difficulty, such as food left untouched, coughing, pocketing food, or fatigue during meals. Involve your skilled therapy department in dining observations and pay close attention to residents who are already experiencing weight loss. Sometimes the clues are right in front of us.
Stay well and stay informed!
