Abstract
The objectives of this empirical study were to
evaluate the quantitative and qualitative alterations
experienced by community-dwelling elderly
and their families when employing oral home telecare
(a care service system based on interactive
motion-picture transmission between households
and healthcare providers). The subjects were four
community-dwelling elderly in Kuriyama-cho,
Hokkaido. The tutorial programs were designed to
provide health information and education, as well
as to enhance life skills related to exercise and
communication. The programs were provided to
the elderly through a new oral healthcare interactive
learning system disseminated via an ISDNbased
network. Quantitative and qualitative
observation data on oral home telecare were collected
by videophone and subsequently discussed.
Functional independence in daily activities,
communication skills, and social cognition, independence
in oral care, and oral hygiene status all
improved. Clients and their families were able to
acquire broader knowledge relating to oral and
general health, practical oral homecare skills, and
social life skills. The use of this home telecare system
as a “preventive home visit” and as a “living
environmental tool” incorporating broad social
supports could help improve the quality of life of
clients and become part of a community oral
healthcare service.
