TY - JOUR

T1 - Health status, care dependency and oral care utilization among older adults

T2 - a register-based study

AU - Tapager, Ina

AU - Westergaard, Caroline Louise

AU - Øzhayat, Esben Boeskov

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Gerodontology published by Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background and objectives: The aim of the study was to examine oral care utilisation among older Danes and to describe the extent to which oral care use is associated with the co-existence of challenges relating to general health and care dependency. Materials and methods: The study used registry data covering the entire population of older adults (≥65 years) in seven municipalities in Denmark (N = 178 787 individuals). Oral care services utilisation was computed from administrative data on oral care contacts up to and including 2019, including both private oral care and a municipal oral care programme (MOCP). Various registry data sources were used to compute risk factors to describe oral care utilisation across indicators of general health and care dependency. Results: Indicators for poorer health were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in the MOCPs and larger proportions of non-users of any type of oral care. Higher degrees of care dependency were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in MOCPs and individuals with no use of any oral care services, with the exception of nursing home residents, who comprised a lower proportion of non-users than individuals receiving at-home care. Municipal oral care mainly enrolled older adults who were nursing home residents (60% of nursing home residents were enrolled). Conclusion: Our findings support existing evidence on the link between oral care utilisation and general health and frailty. While the municipal care programmes assisted in covering oral care for those with the highest level of care dependency, future preventive strategies for ensuring care continuity for older adults that are increasing in frailty may want to focus on the earlier stages of frailty and of general health deterioration.

AB - Background and objectives: The aim of the study was to examine oral care utilisation among older Danes and to describe the extent to which oral care use is associated with the co-existence of challenges relating to general health and care dependency. Materials and methods: The study used registry data covering the entire population of older adults (≥65 years) in seven municipalities in Denmark (N = 178 787 individuals). Oral care services utilisation was computed from administrative data on oral care contacts up to and including 2019, including both private oral care and a municipal oral care programme (MOCP). Various registry data sources were used to compute risk factors to describe oral care utilisation across indicators of general health and care dependency. Results: Indicators for poorer health were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in the MOCPs and larger proportions of non-users of any type of oral care. Higher degrees of care dependency were associated with larger proportions of individuals enrolled in MOCPs and individuals with no use of any oral care services, with the exception of nursing home residents, who comprised a lower proportion of non-users than individuals receiving at-home care. Municipal oral care mainly enrolled older adults who were nursing home residents (60% of nursing home residents were enrolled). Conclusion: Our findings support existing evidence on the link between oral care utilisation and general health and frailty. While the municipal care programmes assisted in covering oral care for those with the highest level of care dependency, future preventive strategies for ensuring care continuity for older adults that are increasing in frailty may want to focus on the earlier stages of frailty and of general health deterioration.

KW - care dependency

KW - frailty

KW - general health

KW - older people

KW - oral healthcare use

KW - polypharmacy

U2 - 10.1111/ger.12748

DO - 10.1111/ger.12748

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38563253

AN - SCOPUS:85189813405

JO - Gerodontology

JF - Gerodontology

SN - 0734-0664

ER -