Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Mouth care in nursing homes: knowledge, beliefs, and practices of nursing assistants
Rita A Jablonski1, Cindy L Munro, Mary Jo Grap
1School of Nursing, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Unlabelled:
The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of nursing assistants (NAs) providing oral hygiene care to frail elders in nursing homes, with the intent of developing an educational program for NAs.
Methods:
The study occurred in two economically and geographically diverse nursing homes. From a sample size of 202 NAs, 106 returned the 19-item Oral Care Survey.
Results:
The NAs reported satisfactory knowledge regarding the tasks associated with providing mouth care. The NAs believed that tooth loss was a natural consequence of aging. They reported that they provided mouth care less frequently than is optimal but cited challenges such as caring for persons exhibiting care-resistive behaviors, fear of causing pain, and lack of supplies.
Conclusion:
Nurses are in a powerful position to support NAs in providing mouth care by ensuring that they have adequate supplies and knowledge to respond to resistive behaviors.
Related Concept Videos
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Communication between nurses and patients...
Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
Standards of Care II
Aims Of Nursing
Nursing Implementation
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.