Broadway Pentecostal Lodge (BPL) was the community site that I visited in my first semester of my fourth year. The services we provided included intra- and extra-oral examinations, debridement, fluoride application, and denture care.

At Broadway Pentecostal Lodge, there was a steep learning curve for myself and my teammates, as we had limited experience providing dental hygiene services in a long term care facility. The population at BPL is quite specific, and as such, is very different from what we commonly see at the UBC clinic. We provide services to elders who commonly have a variety of illnesses and conditions and related medications, and many who have behavioural or physical disabilities.

In addition, the setting is unusual to us, as we provide care in the elder’s beds or wheelchairs with neck support – much different than the ergonomically-friendly chairs we are used to at UBC! However, despite these challenges, our site facilitator, Susan, was an incredible resource for us as she has a wealth of knowledge and experience working in long term care facilities.

I learned a lot from my rotation at BPL, not only about implementing care for elders, but also how to communicate with elders and other health professionals, increased my ability to use paper charts, learned the barriers and difficulties associated with running a practice in residential care, and also gained knowledge on the population and their specific needs.