Journal of Disability and Oral Health

cover art

Cover Date:
June 2010
Print ISSN:
1470-8558
Vol:
11
Issue:
2

Oral health policy and access to dentistry in care homes

This study had the aim of exploring factors which may facilitate or impede access to dental care and arrangements within the care home to maximise oral health of residents by undertaking a survey of care home managers. Design: A survey questionnaire was designed and posted to 90% of the care home managers in Wales. The remaining 10% of managers were contacted for face-to-face interviews. The questions covered arrangements to ensure regular dental care, access to routine and emergency dental care, facilities on site for delivering dental care, residents requiring assistance with oral hygiene and related staff training, and whether diets were based upon assumptions that residents have dentures or trouble chewing food. Results: The questions used in the questionnaire have identified a number of issues of interest to those commissioning and inspecting services. These include, weaknesses in arrangements for ensuring all residents in care homes have suitable assessments on admission, difficulty in accessing both routine and emergency dental care, training issues for staff who are assisting residents with oral hygiene, and assumptions made about the ability of residents to chew food, which is affecting the range of food offered. Conclusions: This survey has highlighted issues which will be of interest to those commissioning, providing and inspecting care homes and those commissioning dental services in Wales. Needs assessment regarding oral health of care home residents should include care planning, oral health and dental access arrangements in the home.

Key words: Needs, elderly, care home, dental

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
0
Page End
0
Authors
N Monaghan, M Z Morgan, M Phil

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Oral health policy and access to dentistry in care homes
  2. 0
  3. 0

  1. editorial.pdf
  2. 50
  3. 50

  1. Tributes
  2. 51
  3. 51

  1. Dental care in multiple sclerosis: an overlooked and under-assessed condition
  2. 53
  3. 56

  1. Dentistry for individuals with special needs in Saudi Arabia: a commentary
  2. 57
  3. 60

  1. Evaluation of objective and subjective methods for assessing dental anxiety: a pilot study
  2. 69
  3. 76

  1. The history of childhood disabilities
  2. 77
  3. 88

  1. Dental health research (1997-2007) concerning people with learning disabilities: a systematic review addressing the extent to which they are involved in research
  2. 91
  3. 96

2024 rates