Perception of oral health in home care of caregivers of the elderly

Abstract Objective: to analyze the perception of caregivers of elderly persons regarding their own oral health care and that of the elderly individuals. Method: a descriptive-exploratory study with a qualitative approach was carried out. Semi-structured interviews with 13 caregivers were conducted, recorded and transcribed, and the Content Analysis technique was applied. Results: All respondents were informal caregivers, most of whom were female, aged over 50, married, had some degree of kinship with those receiving care, an incomplete elementary school education and no other occupation or job. After analyzing the interviews, the data were grouped into the following categories: a) home visits and health professionals; b) caregiver experience and care of the elderly; and c) the caregiver and their self-care. Conclusion: knowledge of caregivers’ perception of their own oral health and that of dependent/semi-dependent elderly persons assists in planning, promotion, prevention and health recovery. The work of a multi-professional team is therefore essential in the seeking out and instruction of these individuals.