Mitchell G, Stark P, Wilson C B et al. ‘Whose role is it anyway?' Experiences of community nurses in the delivery and support of oral health care for older people living at home: a grounded theory study. BMC Nurs 2023; 22: 359.

Whose job is it anyway?

Older people are likely to suffer declining health towards the end of life and thus become increasingly dependent on others for support. Oral health in this scenario is frequently overlooked. Care at home is increasing as an option for this cohort, rather than residential nursing home care. Community nurses (aka district nurses, home care nurses) therefore ‘hold a unique position to effectively assess plan, refer to dental services and provide support for oral healthcare amongst older individuals living at home'. Four areas of concern were developed from face-to-face interviews with 15 community nurses:

  • Education - little post-qualification education is available

  • Practice - lack of time prevented routine oral healthcare

  • Confidence - lacking confidence in and liaising with dental professionals

  • Motivation - some were keen to develop this service to patients, while others felt it was beyond their role.