Aged Care Insite Issue 93 | February-March 2016 | Seite 29

clinical focus

T

here is a stark gap between what
aged-care workers believe is
appropriate oral care and what they
see being delivered, new research has found.
In a recent study, associate professor
Bronwyn Hemsley from the University
of Newcastle, along with researchers
Shaylee Hilton and professor Justine Joan
Sheppard from Columbia University in
New York, looked into the feasibility of
implementing oral health guidelines in
residential care settings.
Professionals in the study had a say
about using current, evidence-based
guidelines for oral care in their work. In an
online survey of 35 nurses and residential
care workers – followed up by a focus
group – respondents said they had little or
no training in recommended techniques
and lacked access to the necessary
equipment and professional support.
The research team found basic oral care
might be performed less than once a day
in some settings, and some patient groups,
such as those with dysphagia or sensitivities,
might be less likely to receive oral care.
Hemsley said the survey respondents
agreed with the guidelines but noted they
weren’t commonly implemented.
In an interview with Aged Care Insite,
Hemsley discussed the gap between the
recommendations made in the guidelines
and the real-world implementation, and
what could be done to address some of the
barriers in residential care settings.

ACI: What do these guidelines involve?
BH: Before we surveyed staff, honours
student Shaylee Hilton gathered all the
publish Y