Abstract
AimTo determine what experiences do residential care aides (RCAs) have with individuals living with oral malodour in a long‐term care (LTC) facility?DesignStudy investigation was done using an interpretive qualitative approach paired with a social constructivism interpretive framework.MethodsThe study was conducted in May of 2015 through face‐to‐face interviews with RCAs, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim, observations of RCAs in their work environment, as well as RCA personal logs of their daily experiences with odour during caregiving. Thereafter, data were analysed and coded for emerging themes.ResultsFive major themes were identified after grouping the codes: 1) attitudes and behaviours when caring for residents with malodour; 2)RCA knowledge of oral malodour; 3) level of job satisfaction among RCAs that care for residents with malodour; 4) culture and malodour; and 5) challenges of care giving compounded by malodour. These themes depict the overall experiences of study participants.
Highlights
Utilizing an interpretive qualitative approach, this study aimed to explore and provide insight into the experiences of residential care aides (RCAs) working with residents who have oral malodour
Long-term care in Canada has been described as a highly stressful environment, where the care provided by RCAs and other long-term care (LTC) workers is often task-oriented with time constraints (Daly & Szebehely, 2012)
70 percent of RCAs believed it is important to check the resident’s mouth on a daily basis, and over 90 percent believed that daily oral hygiene improves quality of life, only 29 percent agreed that residents should receive mouth care on a daily basis (Dharamsi et al, 2009)
Summary
The oral health status of geriatric people living in LTC facilities is poor (WeeningVerbree, Huisman-de Waal, van Dusseldorp, van Achterberg, & Schoonhoven, 2013). Long-term care in Canada has been described as a highly stressful environment, where the care provided by RCAs and other LTC workers is often task-oriented with time constraints (Daly & Szebehely, 2012) This model of care resembles an “assembly line”, where residents are put through their daily activities with little to no interaction with their caregivers (Daly & Szebehely, 2012). In contrast, one study has found that the most common indicator and greatest motivation for providing oral care was resident oral malodour because nursing staff felt it affected the resident’s social acceptability and self-esteem (Yoon & Steele, 2012). This study will investigate using a qualitative approach and a social constructivism interpretive framework the question: What experiences do residential care aides (RCAs) have with individuals living with oral malodour in a LTC facility?
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