Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators
Background: The prevalence and impact of oral disease among long-term institutionalised residents highlight the need for a scale-up of preventive and promotional oral health services that include oral health education and training for caregiving staff. However, opportunities to improve oral healthca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2023-06-01
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| Series: | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3884 |
| _version_ | 1797788851551338496 |
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| author | Sonam Balwanth Shenuka Singh |
| author_facet | Sonam Balwanth Shenuka Singh |
| author_sort | Sonam Balwanth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The prevalence and impact of oral disease among long-term institutionalised residents highlight the need for a scale-up of preventive and promotional oral health services that include oral health education and training for caregiving staff. However, opportunities to improve oral healthcare services are met with challenges.
Aim: This study was undertaken to establish coordinator perspectives on oral health provision.
Setting: Seven long-term care facilities in the eThekwini district, South Africa.
Methods: An in-depth exploratory study was conducted with 14 purposively selected coordinators (managers and nurses). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and focused on coordinators’ experience and perspectives on oral healthcare. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: The following themes emerged from the study: A lack of comprehensive oral health care practices, inadequate support from the dental sector, insufficient oral health prioritisation, limited funding for oral health, and challenges associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). All respondents reported that no oral health initiatives existed. Plans for oral health training workshops presented with coordination and funding challenges. Oral health screening initiatives have ceased since COVID-19.
Conclusion: The study findings indicated that prioritisation of oral health services was inadequate. There is a need for continual oral health in-service training for caregivers and support from coordinators in guiding the implementation of oral health training programmes.
Contribution: It is envisaged that the findings of this study will bring about greater coordinator involvement and collaboration with the public and private dental sectors to improve oral healthcare at long-term care facilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:42:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1f8fb418886146bdb3ec205d8309f141 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2071-2928 2071-2936 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:42:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-1f8fb418886146bdb3ec205d8309f1412023-07-03T12:15:12ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362023-06-01151e1e1010.4102/phcfm.v15i1.38841044Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinatorsSonam Balwanth0Shenuka Singh1Discipline of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDiscipline of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanBackground: The prevalence and impact of oral disease among long-term institutionalised residents highlight the need for a scale-up of preventive and promotional oral health services that include oral health education and training for caregiving staff. However, opportunities to improve oral healthcare services are met with challenges. Aim: This study was undertaken to establish coordinator perspectives on oral health provision. Setting: Seven long-term care facilities in the eThekwini district, South Africa. Methods: An in-depth exploratory study was conducted with 14 purposively selected coordinators (managers and nurses). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and focused on coordinators’ experience and perspectives on oral healthcare. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The following themes emerged from the study: A lack of comprehensive oral health care practices, inadequate support from the dental sector, insufficient oral health prioritisation, limited funding for oral health, and challenges associated with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). All respondents reported that no oral health initiatives existed. Plans for oral health training workshops presented with coordination and funding challenges. Oral health screening initiatives have ceased since COVID-19. Conclusion: The study findings indicated that prioritisation of oral health services was inadequate. There is a need for continual oral health in-service training for caregivers and support from coordinators in guiding the implementation of oral health training programmes. Contribution: It is envisaged that the findings of this study will bring about greater coordinator involvement and collaboration with the public and private dental sectors to improve oral healthcare at long-term care facilities.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3884oral health provisioncoordinator perspectiveslong-term care facilitiescaregiversinstitutionalised residents. |
| spellingShingle | Sonam Balwanth Shenuka Singh Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine oral health provision coordinator perspectives long-term care facilities caregivers institutionalised residents. |
| title | Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators |
| title_full | Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators |
| title_fullStr | Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators |
| title_full_unstemmed | Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators |
| title_short | Oral healthcare provision at long-term care facilities in eThekwini: Perspectives of coordinators |
| title_sort | oral healthcare provision at long term care facilities in ethekwini perspectives of coordinators |
| topic | oral health provision coordinator perspectives long-term care facilities caregivers institutionalised residents. |
| url | https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/3884 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sonambalwanth oralhealthcareprovisionatlongtermcarefacilitiesinethekwiniperspectivesofcoordinators AT shenukasingh oralhealthcareprovisionatlongtermcarefacilitiesinethekwiniperspectivesofcoordinators |