Integrating Oral Care Into Nurse‐Led Models: A Critical Step to Reduce Pneumonia in Older Adults
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.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Dysphagia Assessment and Management
Nosocomial Infections in ICU
Geriatric Care and Nursing Homes
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1487–1488
- Publication date
- 17 February 2026
- Language
- EN