title: Oral healthcare issues in rural residential aged care services in Victoria, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify major issues in providing and accessing oral health care in Victorian rural residential aged care services from the perspectives of dentists, aged care staff and residents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Structured interviews were conducted with five dentists, nine aged care staff and six residents. Three focus groups were conducted with aged care staff. These data were thematically analysed independently by two researchers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The challenges reported by dentists included complexity of care, infrastructure needs and need for skill development. Aged care staff reported lack of skills and confidence in providing oral hygiene care, especially in residents with natural teeth, and an increasing burden on their daily workload. Residents reported concern and shame regarding their declining oral health status and increased challenges accessing appropriate oral health care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate the need to build and sustain aged care 'oral health teams' who are able to provide daily oral hygiene care for residents and mentor other staff. Rural dentists need access to gerodontic training, portable equipment and appropriate workspaces in aged care services. Aged care and oral health services need to establish clear referral and communication pathways.
authors.affiliation: Monash University School of Rural Health, Bendigo, 3552 Vic., Australia. rachel.tham@monash.edu
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tham
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hardy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002983:Clinical Competence; D016321:Dental Care for Aged; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D012112:Residential Facilities; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012752:Shame; D014739:Victoria; D016526:Workload