Community priority

The hugely successful event was supported by leading members of the dental profession and dental organisations.

Launched by Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Quality, The Right Honourable Earl Howe, the IOHOPI programme has been developed to address the growing need to prioritise the oral health of older people in a care environment.

The initiative includes an e-learning platform Domiciliary Dental Care that has been developed by Healthcare Learning: Smile-on. This innovative programme is made up of four educational storylines, available on the website – www.IOHOPI.co.uk. The stories demonstrate how carers can work within the community and care environments to carry out oral care assessments, making referrals where necessary and providing informative resources and practical tips for both dental and non-dental professionals.

With the growing number of older persons as the recipients of care or living in care homes across the UK, it is vital to ensure that their oral health needs are adequately met. This initiative seeks to establish this as a priority in the community, in hospitals and places of care, by informing and educating those responsible.