Enter and view: Dentistry and Oral Health in Care Homes
Download (PDF 997.58 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch East Sussex undertook enter and views of nine care homes to assess the potential impact of a pilot initiative by the local ICB to send dental therapists to care homes to improve the oral health of residents. They spoke to 36 people in total.
The overall conclusion of the enter and view project is that access to dentistry for residents in care homes appears dependent on a person’s ability to pay. Healthwatch found that access to dentistry was more frequently described as easy or very easy by residents and care home staff where the resident had access to a private dentist.
Healthwatch also found that whilst there are NHS dental services, such as the NHS Special Care Dental Service at the Ian Gow Health Centre in Eastbourne, and the service in Uckfield, there are very long waiting times before treatment can be provided. As a result, most residents without access to a private dentist did not have regular NHS dental check-ups, and often had to wait for routine procedures.
More worrying was that several residents and managers confirmed that some residents were experiencing dental issues that were affecting their health and wellbeing. This included difficulties with eating and communication. One care home manager reported on the difficulties of a resident living with dementia receiving hospital dental treatment. This illustrated a need for a more person-centred approach to be taken to enable this resident to access the dental services they needed.
Healthwatch were told that residents received regular support with their oral health care, including daily cleaning of teeth and dentures where the resident was unable to carry out this task themselves. This was supported by those residents who confirmed that they received daily support with their oral health care. The care home managers stated that residents have an oral health care plan and that this is reviewed regularly. They also stated that staff receive training on oral health care.
There was agreement from both residents and care home managers and senior staff that the concept of dental therapists visiting care homes is a good one and would be welcomed.
The report contains seventeen recommendations.