An evaluation of an oral health training programme for carers of the elderly in residential homes

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

“…Furthermore, improved oral health of elderly residents helped reduce the incidence of pneumonia . However, several studies that investigated the effect of an oral health education program for the caretakers did not observe a significant improvement in the oral health status of the elderly residents (Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009;MacEntee et al, 2007;Simons et al, 2000) whereas other studies did observe an improvement (Boczko et al, 2009;Frenkel et al, 2001;Isaksson et al, 2000;Kullberg et al, 2009;Nicol et al, 2005;Portella et al, 2013). Sjogren et al (2010) indicated that a single oral health education of the caregivers yearly was insufficient to improve the oral health status of the residents after 1.5 yrs.…”

“…1) (Boczko et al, 2009;Frenkel et al, 2001;Isaksson et al, 2000;Nicol et al, 2005;Portella et al, 2013). Four of the twelve excluded studies did not provide quantitative data of the outcome of interest MacEntee et al, 2007;Simons et al, 2000;Sjogren et al, 2010). Four studies (Frenkel et al, 2002;Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009;Khanagar et al, 2014;Reed et al, 2006) did not evaluate the oral health of the elderly.…”

“…Sjogren et al (2010) indicated that a single oral health education of the caregivers yearly was insufficient to improve the oral health status of the residents after 1.5 yrs. Possible reasons for the lack of a significant impact of the caregivers' training on the oral health status of the elderly residents may include relatively good oral health status of residents at baseline (MacEntee et al, 2007), less sensitive measurement scales for the oral health assessments (Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009), too small a sample size to detect a 20% difference (MacEntee et al, 2007), short presentation without adequate training or theory of improved oral health care (Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009), insufficient time due to competing personal care duties (Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009;Reed et al, 2006;Simons et al, 2000), inadequate staffing intensity at facility (Gammack and Pulisetty, 2009;Reed et al, 2006;Simons et al, 2000), insufficient supplies for oral health care (Coleman, 2005), the Hawthorne effect on the facilities and staff (MacEntee et al, 2007), and a relatively high turnover of staff at the facility between the pre and post training assessments (Simons et al, 2000). Multiple oral health education sessions augmented the oral health knowledge and practical oral hygiene procedures of the caregivers (Reed et al, 2006), but some facilities hesitated to provide the extra time for staff training due to workload (Simons et al, 2000).…”

“…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). Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of oral health education of the caregivers on the oral health status of the residents.…”

Using Simulations and Experiential Learning Approaches to Train Careers of Seniors

“…Seniors are often dependent on their carers to perform all their daily activities [4]. Furthermore, it seems that there is a gap between the perceptions of formal and informal caregivers about the needs of the cared for persons.…”