title: Perceptions of caregivers regarding the importance of dental care for institutionalised seniors: a pilot study.
abstract: The type of dental treatment that institutionalised elderly receive often depends on the decisions made by various stakeholders. These decisions may be based on a perceived need for treatment. This study was designed to investigate the perception of primary caregivers as to the relative importance of dental care for institutionalised seniors. Seniors who lived in a long-term care institution, with a dental facility available to them on a daily basis, volunteered information regarding their primary caregivers. A total of 25 primary caregivers participated in a structured telephone interview. All (100%) of the caregivers considered emergency dental services and treatment to relieve pain as essential/important services which should be available to institutionalised seniors. The following were most commonly ranked in the top three by the primary caregivers: emergency dental services (57%); dental services to relieve pain (48%); cleanings to prevent mouth disease (45%); check-ups including X-rays (45%); dentures to replace missing teeth (33%); and fillings (24%). The findings of this study suggest that more effort should be directed at investigating the perceived need of value of dental services for institutionalised seniors within the various stakeholders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 38 Redford Place, Thornhill, Ontario L4J 7S8, Canada. suzanne_reznick@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reznick
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Matear
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged