Perceived Barriers in the Utilization of Oral Health-Care Services among Care Home Geriatric Residents in Chennai City

Abstract

Aim: According to recent surveys, the elderly uses oral health services at a lower rate than any other age group which is mostly driven by their perceived need and perceived barriers. The purpose of this study is to assess the perceived barriers of care home geriatric residents in the utilization of oral health care services in Chennai city. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 237 elders from 14 randomly selected care homes in Chennai. Anderson and Newman's, framework was used to assess the utilization of oral health-care services. A structured interview was conducted to collect the demographic data and to assess the perceived need and barriers. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done to assess the association between the various perceived barriers. Results: Among the 237 participants, 24% were male and 76% were female. The mean age was 74.1 years. The primary perceived barrier was found to be a lack of perceived need for oral health-care services (72%) despite the poor oral health status (93%). The other barriers were unacceptability (89.9%), unaffordability (39.2%), unavailability (33.3%), inaccessibility (35.4%), and lack of accommodation (8.9%). Aging was found to a major perceived barrier in the utilization of oral health services (81.4%). Conclusion: The current study highlights the importance of oral health education and promotion among institutionalized elderly, as well as the need for domiciliary oral health-care services. The need for geriatric dentistry in the curriculum of dentistry is also emphasized.