Barriers and Enablers of Oral Health Implementation in Residential Aged Care: A Qualitative Study of the Australian Royal Commission Inquiry.
Introduction: Oral health is essential to the well‐being of older adults, yet it remains deprioritised in residential aged care (RAC). Poor oral health is linked to pain, malnutrition and an increased risk of systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and pneumonia. Despite its importance, t...
| Publicado en: | Health & Social Care in the Community Vol. 2026; pp. 1 - 11 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Wiley-Blackwell
5/31/2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=194209034&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 194209034 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 09660410 EVX jtl: Health & Social Care in the Community issn: 09660410 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: 5/31/2026 vid: 2026 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 194209034 194209034 194209034 10.1155/hsc/5158065 194209034 ppf: 1 ppct: 10 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Barriers and Enablers of Oral Health Implementation in Residential Aged Care: A Qualitative Study of the Australian Royal Commission Inquiry. aug: au: Pritchard, Lyndal Do, Loc Stormon, Nicole Bhardwaj, Parth affil: School of Dentistry,, Oral Health Centre,, The University of Queensland,, Herston Rd, Brisbane, Queensland, 4006,, Australia, uq.edu.au sug: subj: Residential Care Australia Gerontologic Care Oral Health In Old Age Dental Care for Older Persons Program Implementation Health Services Accessibility Medical Practice, Evidence-Based Human Australia Male Female Aged Aged, 80 and Over Qualitative Studies Comparative Studies Descriptive Statistics Data Analysis Software Questionnaires Thematic Analysis Clinical Assessment Tools Health Services for Older Persons Conceptual Framework Workforce Organizational Culture Collaboration Multidisciplinary Care Team Health Policy Health and Welfare Planning Government Regulations Quality Improvement Funding Source Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over Male Female ab: Introduction: Oral health is essential to the well‐being of older adults, yet it remains deprioritised in residential aged care (RAC). Poor oral health is linked to pain, malnutrition and an increased risk of systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and pneumonia. Despite its importance, there are no mandated oral health standards in RAC, leading to inconsistent practices and service gaps. The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, a public inquiry into Australia's aged care sector, exposed systemic deficiencies including the inadequate prioritisation of oral health. Methods: A qualitative approach using reflexive thematic analysis was employed, with the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework applied as a sensitising lens to contextualise findings within implementation processes. Data were drawn from Melbourne hearing transcripts of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety held from 15 to 17 July 2020. The study adhered to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) to ensure transparency and methodological rigour. Results: The analysis identified six themes reflecting key barriers and facilitators to oral health integration in RAC. Barriers included low organisational readiness, insufficient workforce training, inadequate funding and the absence of enforceable policies. Facilitators included sustainable funding models, structured oral health assessments and interdisciplinary collaboration. Embedding oral health practitioners within RAC interdisciplinary teams was identified as a key strategy to enhance service delivery and preventive oral health care. Conclusion: The findings indicate that challenges to oral health integration in RAC are predominantly structural, driven by a lack of enforceable standards, fragmented funding and limited workforce capacity. Embedding oral health practitioners within care models, aligning funding with accreditation requirements and strengthening partnerships between RAC facilities and dental services are identified as critical implementation priorities. Future research should focus on evaluating and scaling implementation strategies that support the long‐term integration of oral health care and improve outcomes for older Australians. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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