Evaluation of an oral health education program for nursing personnel in special housing facilities for the elderly

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of an oral health education program (OHEP) on attitudes among the responsible nursing personnel toward performing oral health procedures for care receivers. A total of 2882 nursing personnel were offered participation in the OHEP, and the effect was evaluated by means of a questionnaire distributed pre-educationally as well as 1-2 months post-educationally. The nursing personnel were allocated, on the basis of nursing education, to either a "high level of health care education" group (HHCE), including registered and enrolled nurses, or a "low level of health care education" group (LHCE), including nursing assistants and home care aides. Statistical analysis was performed by means of descriptive and analytical statistics. After the OHEP, the nursing personnel estimated their ability to perform oral hygiene procedures for care receivers to be significantly increased. Post-educationally, a significant shift in importance was observed from knowledge regarding the diseased oral cavity to knowledge regarding the healthy oral cavity. It was also observed that, in the LHCE group, the OHEP favored practical procedures, while in the HHCE group, theoretical considerations were favored. This indicates that, when oral health education programs are designed, due attention should be paid to the nursing personnel's education level.

Oral health care education and its effect on caregivers′ knowledge, attitudes, and practices: A randomized controlled trial

“…There was significant improvement in the knowledge on importance of oral health and oral hygiene, use of fluorides, denture care and denture hygiene practices, management of dry mouth, and importance of regular dental check-ups. These results were similar to those of studies conducted by Paulsson et al .,[8] Simons et al .,[9] and Nicol et al . [10] These improvements reflected the effectiveness of the oral health education program.…”

“…Epidemiological studies reveal that in general, the oral health of elderly people is poor. [8] So, oral disease can be considered as a public health problem due to its high prevalence and significant social impact.…”

“…It is well documented that there is significant improvement in the oral hygiene practices of elderly residents by educating their caretakers. [8] In the present study, oral health education intervention was given at baseline and reinforcement was given at the end of 3 months. Oral health education to the control group was provided only at the end of 6 months.…”

Effect of oral health education programs for caregivers on oral hygiene of the elderly: A systemic review and meta-analysis

“…Various oral health education programs have been presented to nursing personnel with anticipation that patients may benefit from caregivers' improved expertise in personal hygiene procedures. Many studies evaluated the effectiveness of the educational program on the improvement of knowledge, attitude, and perception of caregivers (Khanagar et al, 2014;Paulsson et al, 1998;Reed et al, 2006). These programs produced conflicting conclusions regarding oral health, level of knowledge, benefits over time (Brand et al, 2013;Sjogren et al, 2010), and attitudes toward dental issues of elderly (Isaksson et al, 2000;Kullberg et al, 2009;Reed et al, 2006;Simons et al, 2000).…”

Should we educate care staff to improve the oral health and oral hygiene of people with intellectual disability in residential care? Real world lessons from a randomized controlled trial

“…Interventions promoting the oral health of adults with ID are often educational aiming to train care staff (or other carers) in oral health as a central mechanism for change in client oral health . This approach is, essentially, the same as used for other vulnerable or institutionalized adult populations . While these interventions adopt a variety of approaches, the theories which underlie them have the following in common: that training care staff will modify constructs which effect health‐related behaviors, leading to changes in care staff behavior.…”