Building rapport with an elder at Broadway Lodge

Broadway Pentacoastal Lodge was a long-term care facility that provided integrated healthcare services for elders who required living-assistance and palliative care. The demographic of the residents and staff members were from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Such aspect was a great opportunity to understand how facility provided culturally-sensitive care and how different professions with different backgrounds could work as an integrated care team such as participating in Care Conferences. Although I had contacted doctors regarding medical conditions and medications for my previous clients at UBC dental clinic, I never had an experience to interact with other healthcare professionals face-to-face. The Care Conferences included a case manger, MD, RN, LPN, a dietician, a recreational therapist, and a chaplain who presented their perspectives for each elder. One time, I had a case in which the elder has a malfunctioned, infected denture so that the elder was advised not to wear the denture until the issue would be resolved. When I presented that case, as an integrated healthcare team, I would work with the dietitian so that the elder would maintain good nutrition from blend food diet. This unique experience of being a part of an integrated team helped me to build up my professionalism because I learned scope of practices of different healthcare professionals, how they communicate/work as an integrated team in a long-term care facility, and how as a dental hygiene student, I could contribute to improve not only oral health but also overall health of the elders.