Abstract
In most nursing homes, for the aged, oral hygiene is left to the residents and the staff. Especially it depends on the efforts of individual staff members. Therefore it is important for the staff to learn oral hygiene for the residents. The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of awareness of the nursing staff of the oral hygiene of the residents.
A questionnaire was mailed to 110 staff in 11 nursing homes for the aged (9 in Saitama and 2 in Tokyo), 100 replied, 15 males and 85 females. They had worked in nursing homes for 5.7 years on average. They answered questions on the dental and denture hygiene status of the residents, on the necessity of instructing the staff in dental and denture hygiene of the residents, and on the need for the staff to perform oral hygiene for the residents.
The results were as follows:
1. There were no dental professionals in any nursing homes, and only two nursing homes were voluntarily visited once or twice a month by dentists. In none of the nursing homes were staff members instructed in oral hygiene of the residents, even if it was necessary.
2. Of 100 staff members, 66 had not been trained in oral hygiene for the residents. Fifty-four had been trained in oral hygiene for themselves. Thirty-four had not been trained in oral hygiene for either the residents or themselves.
3. Seventy-nine thought that they did not have enough knowledge of oral hygiene for the residents. The ratio of the staff members who thought that they had enough knowledge of oral hygiene for the residents was higher in the staff members who had been trained in oral hygiene of the residents than in the staff members without training. Ninety-seven hoped to receive training in oral hygiene for the residents.
4. The staff members' evaluation of the residents' oral hygiene was that only a few residents maintained good oral hygiene. The authors classified the residents into 2 groups according to their level of oral hygiene in order to evaluate the difference between the oral status of the 2 groups. The 2 groups were as follows: the residents whom the staff thought could keep their natural teeth and dentures in good condition by themselves (group A), and the residents whom the staff thought could not keep their natural teeth and dentures in good condition by themselves (group B). The staff thought that oral hygiene was better in group B than in group A. Especially the staff who had been trained in oral hygiene of the residents stated this. Fifty-one replied that cleaning of natural teeth and dentures of group A was performed by the residents themselves. Fifty-eight replied that cleaning of natural teeth and dentures of group B was performed by the staff. It was thought that good oral hygiene in group B was maintained by the staff. These findings demonstrate that instructions to the staff for oral hygiene were effective for oral hygiene of the residents.
5. Eighty-seven thought it was necessary for the staff to clean residents' natural teeth and dentures. Especially 62 percent of the staff members who had been trained in oral hygiene of the residents firmly believed so.
6. At first 35 found oral and denture cleaning distasteful. At present 79 were satisfied with it. Eighty-one hoped to perform the oral hygiene of the residents.
These findings demonstrate that training the staff in cleaning natural teeth and dentures by dental professionals is necessary and effective for daily oral hygiene in the nursing homes for the aged. Measures for facilitating oral hygiene and methods of improving it are necessary to reduce the burden of providing it.
