Examinations on effects of oral care aimed at promoting oral function

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11746
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gerontological nursing
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Ouchi Junko 北海道科学大学, 保健医療学部, 准教授 (00571085)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 林 裕子 北海道科学大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (40336409) ; 福良 薫 北海道科学大学, 保健医療学部, 教授 (30299713)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 口腔ケア / 口腔機能 / 高齢者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined how the oral care developed by Kuroiwa (2010) had been implemented in actual clinical settings to standardize its protocol. The results showed that there were large differences in elements of the care that the care givers usually provide as well as time taken for the whole care among the care givers. In particular, most of the care givers wiped their patients’ mouths, whereas stimulation of the tongue, which is unique to Kuroiwa’s method, had a low implementation rate. Additionally, some care givers spent a longer time on elements which are not included in Kuroiwa’s method compared to those included. Based on these results, it assumed to be important to highlight the elements not included in traditional oral care in standardizing Kuroiwa’s method. Also, we studied the oral function of community-dwelling older adults as a comparative group of hospitalized older adults.

Free Research Field

高齢者看護

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

超高齢社会において，高齢者の口腔機能の低下および摂食嚥下障害は解決すべき大きな健康課題のひとつである。本研究は，口腔機能の維持・向上を目的とした黒岩（2010）による口腔ケアが実際にどのように実施されているのか明らかにすることにより標準化に向けた課題を整理し，標準的な方法による効果測定のための基礎的資料を提供した。これは，超高齢社会において摂食嚥下障害を持つ高齢者が増えるなか，医療施設において効果的かつ継続的な実施が可能な口腔ケアの確立に寄与するものである。さらに，遅れている効果測定を実施することで，高齢者の口腔機能の維持・向上に貢献することが期待される。