Pink Foam Mouth Swabs Are Banned! Which Products Can I Use Instead?
This week we received a call from a distressed lady who is supporting her Dad on end of life care and was looking for products to help keep his mouth fresh and clean, as the residential home where he is living say that they cant provide him with oral care ‘because foam mouth swabs are banned!’ and they weren’t prepared to source any alternative oral care products to meet this gentleman’s needs.
So the only time this gent currently gets any oral care is when his daughter visits, which is just awful.
I told the lady that I considered this was a safeguarding issue as the home is neglecting a?key area of his care, and to use the excuse that they couldn’t deliver mouth care because products are banned is not good enough, ignorance is no excuse!
Most people are aware that since 2012 pink foam mouth care swabs have been on a Medical Device Alert (MDA/2012/020) and their use banned in Wales and many NHS trusts throughout the UK. This followed a fatality when a sponge head became detached and dislodge in a patient’s mouth.
There have also been over 800 patient safety incidents issued by the MHRA relating to choking and aspiration risks from pink oral swabs.
领英推荐
We also know that innovation in safe oral care products for the elderly, vulnerable and for end-of-life care has been painfully slow until very recently, causing a challenge to care homes and hospitals who are trying to deliver safe oral care but without access to fit for purpose products available.
Because of our passion for patient safety and only providing fit for purpose solutions, Hcsuk made the decision some years ago to discontinue the more traditional oral care products that were past their sell by date – the pink foam mouth swabs because of the choking risk and lemon and glycerine mouth swabs, as glycerine is known to have a drying effect on the mouth which is counterproductive.
And we have launched a whole new range of safe, fit for purpose oral care product solutions, and here, our MD, Jo Bonser, explains 3 of these new products in this short video;
?With #CQC announcing on May 4th that oral care is again going to be a focus of their inspections, it's clear that care homes need to give oral care greater priority, so you may also find the following article helpful. -?https://hcsuk.co.uk/why-oral-care-needs-to-be-given-greater-priority-in-care-homes/
And why not?visit our oral care section of our website?to check out all of our safe and fit-for-purpose oral care product solutions.
Mealtime consultant|Care - helping carers improve the dining experience & overcome eating difficulties of people living with Dementia/FREE Dining Solutions Guide/Interactive Workshop - Dementia Mealtime Challenge/Audits
2 年Thank you fir sharing Rachel Bryan I really appreciate it ??
Helping activity coordinators provide meaningful activities for residents' wellbeing ???? ??THE ACTIVITY COORDINATORS TOOLBOX MEMBERSHIP ￡60 per annum ??New AC onboarding support ￡1,220 ??Advertise on my blog ￡95
2 年This is awful and dangerous. Totally agree with you about it being a safeguarding issue. Well done Jo Bonser ???? for addressing this issue. ??
??Author ‘Navigating Nutrition in Later Life’. Public speaker. Winner:Gloucestershire Foodie Start Up of the Year 2023 Nutrition Advisor for the Elderly, Founder of Grandbar Snacks Ltd. Dementia and End of Life Doula.
2 年This is so important, thank you for posting on here. I have helped clients with dried saliva, as they sleep and often spend much of the day open mouthed. It’s not pleasant for them at all.
?? Award-winning Care Navigator?Enabling busy professionals to balance life and care for older loved ones? Supporting families through the ADULT HEALTH and SOCIAL CARE systems in England?Speaker
2 年I had never heard of a 360° toothbrush before. Thank you Jo Bonser ????
?? Award-winning Care Navigator?Enabling busy professionals to balance life and care for older loved ones? Supporting families through the ADULT HEALTH and SOCIAL CARE systems in England?Speaker
2 年Lack of support for oral hygiene was something I became aware of when my mum was in a nursing home 2017 to 2018. And I know from families I support it is still poor in most residential settings. I was very pleased to hear it was to become a CQC target. In my mum's case her body failed but her mind didn't. At 83y (and having forward looking parents) she had gone the dentist twice a year pretty much all her life. She was mortified. I couldn't even get a private dentist to visit. Being old doesn't suddenly mean you are not going to need dental care.