Listening to older adults: community consultation on a new dental service

Background: Increased life expectancy, retention of a natural dentition often heavily restored, and increasing risks of oral disease mean that older people have particular dental needs and yet uptake of care is low. A new health and wellbeing centre in south London offering student-delivered care has been built to serve the local community. Community views could informed the planning of acceptable care for older people. Objective: To explore the views and expectations of older adults towards dental services and ascertain how a new dental centre may best provide dental care. Research design: This qualitative study used in-depth and triad interviews to explore the views of older people. Purposive sampling of local centres/groups for older adults was undertaken and all willing clients interviewed. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using Framework Methodology with emerging themes categorised according to Maxwell's six descriptors of quality. Results: Nine sessions (five triad and four in-depth interviews) involving 17 older adults were conducted in local day centres. Barriers to dental care were largely related to fear, cost, transport, lack of perceived need and the attitude of clinicians. Outcomes related to acceptability featured highly in a dental service for older adults; the overarching principles of 'delivering mutual benefit' for students and older people, 'experiencing warm humanity' and 'restoring dignity and worth' were central to their views of quality care. The importance of clinicians, whether student or staff, delivering person centred care with warm humanity was dominant: comprising 'welcoming', 'valuing', 'listening' 'communicating' and 'caring' for older adults to enhance relationships and contributing to 'restoring dignity and worth'. Conclusion: Community engagement identified a willingness amongst older adults to utilise dental services where mutual benefit was perceived and, importantly, there were low barriers to care and a warm humanity was exhibited.