Oral Health Care for Seniors masterclass

Oral Health Care for Seniors masterclass

Oral Health Care for Seniors Masterclass

Workshop overview

Maintaining oral health care is essential for general health, enjoyment of food and psychological well-being. Many older people may have experienced trauma or have, through a range of life circumstances, less than desirable oral health. Older people may have missing teeth, use dental aids or dentures or suffer from debilitating or painful oral conditions. 

Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, AINs, allied health workers and personal care workers, providing care to older people require particular knowledge and skills to support the maintenance of good oral health. For older people with dementia this requires a specialised approach to avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety. 

During this masterclass, you will gain a greater understanding of oral health and the quickest, safest and most effective way to deliver oral hygiene support to older people. This includes the development of communication and behaviour management strategies to use when caring for older people with dementia or cognitive impairment.   

Equipped with the knowledge of best-practice, and by using a trauma-informed approach, your confidence in supporting oral care for older people will build, and the health outcomes for the older person will be increased. 

The masterclass includes a 30-minute question and answer (Q&A) session, where participants are encouraged to seek clarification regarding current practices. 

Who should attend?

Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, assistants in nursing, allied health, and personal care workers.

The outcomes are:

  • understand the impact of oral care on overall general health and quality of life
  • recognise the types of oral conditions impacting older people and the use of dental aids and products
  • build confidence in supporting older people with their oral hygiene in the quickest, safest and most effective way
  • develop communication and behaviour management strategies to better support the oral health of people with dementia or cognitive impairment
  • understand the need for a trauma informed care approach when supporting oral care.
      

Date: 4 March 2026

Time: 1-3pm AEDT

Cost details:

Ageing Australia member price
$450 incl. GST each

Non member price
$590 incl. GST each

 

Note – Registration is one ticket per participant and all participants are required to access training on individual devices.

 


Who is facilitating?

Adjunct Associate Professor Leonie Short

Adjunct Associate Professor Leonie Short

CertDT, DipClinHyp, BA(UOW), MHP(UNSW), GradCertHSM(Aged Care)(UTAS), Senior Dental Leaders Alumni (Harvard)
Seniors Dental Care Australia / Oral Health Care Training and Education
 

Leonie M. Short is a registered dental therapist with a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Health Planning, and various qualifications in health management and clinical hypnotherapy. She has held academic positions at six universities and played a key role in establishing several dental programs, including Australia’s first new dental school in 57 years at Griffith University. As a former academic and researcher, she has secured over $2.24 million in research grants and published widely. She was the first dental therapist to be appointed as Director to the Australian Dental Council and to become a member of the Australasian Council of Dental Schools. Leonie has worked extensively in aged care and disability settings, providing oral health care and training. She is also a life member of the Australian Dental and Oral Health Therapists’ Association.

Testimonial

“Oral health is often overlooked, yet it plays a critical role in an older person’s overall well-being. The session provided practical, evidence-based strategies to support staff in delivering effective oral care, especially for those with dementia. I feel more confident in guiding my team to improve oral hygiene practices and enhancing residents’ quality of life. I highly recommend this workshop to anyone working in aged care.”

 

Jessica Osborne
Quality Officer, Lutheran Homes Barossa

“This workshop far exceeded my expectations. It was interesting, relevant, practical, evidence based and aligned with the Strengthened Standards. The 2 hours went by really quickly.”

Karen Chegwidden
Capability Development Educator, Fresh Hope Communities

“The facilitator was fantastic. Leonie explained it very well. I would definitely recommend this learning session.”

Joanna Ocampo
Registered Community Nurse, Pronia

“I found this session to be very informative. The presenter was so knowledgeable and easy to listen to. I would recommend this session to any residential aged care workers.”

Katherine Reid
RN / Clinical Systems Officer, Baptistcare

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Cancellations, refunds, substitutions and transfers

Ageing Australia’s learning and professional development (L&PD) products are delivered subject to sufficient registrations, as stipulated by available tickets against each event, and tickets can be purchased directly from the what’s on page.

Training session viability of each advertised session is assessed one week prior to the scheduled date of delivery, when a decision is made regarding continuation or cancellation. When a training session is cancelled due to insufficient numbers or circumstances outside of the control of Ageing Australia, a full refund will be paid, directly to the customer who has made the initial purchase.

A full refund is also available if a participant withdraws from a training session, five or more days prior to the session being delivered, on the condition, that the customer has contacted , to inform regarding their intention to withdraw. No refunds or transfers will be considered without notification prior to the commencement of a training session. Late notifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

An organisation may choose to substitute a participant of a previously paid session, by emailing , 24 hours prior to the commencement of the training session. Full details of the substituted participant must be provided.

Payment terms

It is a condition of registration that participants pay full payment at the time of booking via credit card or by invoicing by prior arrangement.  All payments must be finalised prior to commencement. Registrants who have outstanding payments will not be able to participate. Upon registration, a tax invoice will be emailed to the person making the booking.