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Survey of health care personnel's attitudes toward oral hygiene in long‐term care facilities in Finland
Author(s) -
Hiltunen Kaija,
Fogelholm Nele,
Saarela Riitta K. T.,
Mäntylä Päivi
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/scd.12424
Subject(s) - medicine , hygiene , oral hygiene , long term care , health care , family medicine , oral health , questionnaire , nursing , dentistry , social science , pathology , sociology , economics , economic growth
Aim To survey long‐term residences’ health care personnel's opinions and attitudes toward maintenance of older adults’ daily oral hygiene. Methods and Results The survey was directed to the health care personnel of three long‐term care facilities in Helsinki, Finland. We analyzed the survey responses focusing on opinions and attitudes toward older adults’ daily oral hygiene. To measure this aspect, a scoring system was developed. When the analysis was based on two specific statements, 60% of responding members of health care personnel had a negative attitude toward older adults’ oral hygiene. They tended to experience more refusals when assisting oral hygiene measures, more often experienced a lack of time, and were willing to get more training related to the task. Conclusion The health care personnel of long‐term care facilities considered older adults’ oral health important. Members of the health care personnel who showed a negative attitude with our scoring system toward older adults’ daily oral hygiene indicated in their questionnaire responses the need for additional training and additional time for the task.