Understanding current oral care practices in acute aged care
Alexis Mcmahon1, Erin Musgrove, Lauren Christie 1 1St Vincent’s Health Network, Darlinghurst, Nsw, Australia2Australian catholic university , North Sydney , Nsw, Australia
Abstract
Introduction/rationale: Oral care is effective in the prevention of oral diseases and infections, however there is a gap between research evidence and the provision of oral care in practice.
Aim(s): To evaluate current oral care practices in an acute aged care hospital setting, and staff perceptions of the barriers and enablers to delivery of evidence-based oral care practices.
Methods: A mixed methods study comprised of retrospective file audit and cross-sectional survey was conducted within the acute aged care unit at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. Medical records of patients aged 65 years and over, admitted to the ward over six months were retrospectively audited. A clinician survey (allied health, nursing and medical staff) was conducted between March and May 2022. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) questionnaire was used to explore perceptions of the delivery of oral care practices. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Patient file audits (n=206) revealed 13.6% (n=28) of patients had oral care completed, despite 23% (n=47) of patients being recommended to receive oral care. A total of 31 staff surveys were included for analysis. The majority of staff reported they do not have the physical or social opportunities to provide oral care i.e., adequate resources, time and social support, however, they were motivated and reported they have the required knowledge and skills to provide oral care.
Conclusions: There is a need for implementation strategies to enable interprofessional response to improve the delivery of evidence-based oral care practices and optimise patient outcomes.
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