[Work load analysis for oral care in special nursing homes].

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Dental Hygiene
• Nursing Home Care

Context:

• Oral health is a critical component of overall well-being for residents in special nursing homes.
• The increasing elderly population necessitates a thorough understanding of care demands within long-term care facilities.
• This study focuses on oral care provided by dental hygienists in Aichi prefecture, Japan.

Purpose:

• To analyze the workload associated with oral care provided by dental hygienists for residents in special nursing homes.
• To quantify the time, physical exertion, and psychological burden involved in delivering oral hygiene services.
• To identify the most frequent and demanding tasks within the scope of dental hygienist responsibilities in this setting.

Summary:

• Oral care by dental hygienists was integrated into 59 nursing tasks, averaging 25.7 minutes per resident.
• Frequent general tasks included speaking to residents and recording information, while oral care involved tooth cleaning, gargling, and denture care.
• Physical demands were highest during patient repositioning, and psychological burden was greatest during tasks like tooth cleaning and denture management.

Impact:

• Provides data to inform staffing, training, and resource allocation for oral care in special nursing homes.
• Highlights the significant physical and psychological demands on dental hygienists, suggesting a need for supportive measures.
• Contributes to the body of knowledge on geriatric oral health and the specific challenges within institutionalized care settings.