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Table 4 Barriers and enablers to oral health care at facilities with and without access to the integrated oral health model

From: An integrated oral health program for rural residential aged care facilities: a mixed methods comparative study

Enablers

Barriers

RACFS without an integrated oral health service model

 ⋅ Access to motivated local Oral Health Service to work with RACF

 ⋅ Resident access to supportive and engaged family or significant other

 ⋅ Formal oral health review process established in RACF

â‹… Competing priorities within RACF

â‹… No access to oral health care specialist for support and education

â‹… Time and resource intensive process for accessing oral health facilities

⋅ Management of high care resident’s oral health requires specific skills

â‹… Lack of formal oral health review process in place

â‹… Difficulties accessing family and significant other support, especially in rural areas

â‹… Poor communication between oral health facility and RACF

RACFS with an integrated oral health service model

 ⋅ Promotion of preventative oral health care

 ⋅ Increased visibility of oral health care requirements to staff at RACF

 ⋅ Cost and time saving for residents, staff and RACF

 ⋅ Need to access dentist at an oral health facility minimised

 ⋅ A formal and well supported OH program established

 ⋅ Improved communication and follow up with oral health service

 ⋅ Disruption to residents especially those with dementia minimised

 ⋅ Model supported by OH specialist external to RACF

 ⋅ Increased confidence in RACF staff of managing OH needs

 ⋅ More opportunities for training in OH care particularly incidental training

 ⋅ Streamlined access to oral health appointments

â‹… Inadequate time allocated to management of OH program within RACF by dedicated staff

â‹… Delays in procurement of recommended equipment

â‹… Some RACF not well equipped to take on telehealth technology

â‹… Poorly planned and accessible telehealth facilities

â‹… Limited experience of OHT with working with residents with high needs particularly dementia