Penerokaan Cabaran Penjagaan Sosial Bagi Menyokong Kesihatan Mulut Warga Emas di Pusat Jagaan (Exploring the Challenges of Social Care in Supporting Oral Health Among Older Adults in Care Institutions)

Siti Aisya Athirah Hassan, Nur Saadah Mohamad Aun, Tuti Ningseh Mohd Dom, Haslina Rani

Abstract


Abstrak: Malaysia dijangka mencapai status negara tua seawal tahun 2030. Justeru, penekanan terhadap penjagaan geriatrik yang holistik perlu diberi keutamaan termasuk aspek kesihatan mulut. Namun, aspek kesihatan mulut dan penjagaan warga emas sering diabaikan meskipun bertindak sebagai komponen penting kepada kesihatan keseluruhan dan kualiti hidup. Malah, integrasi terhadap penjagaan dari sudut sosial dan kesihatan mulut dilaporkan berdepan pelbagai cabaran yang menyukarkan pelaksanaan penjagaan secara komprehensif. Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan meneroka cabaran penjagaan sosial terhadap kesihatan mulut warga emas di pusat jagaan di Selangor. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif, temu bual separa struktur dijalankan dengan melibatkan 18 peserta, iaitu 10 penjaga dan 8 warga emas di sebuah pusat jagaan kerajaan. Data yang diperoleh kemudian ditranskrip secara verbatim dan dianalisis secara tematik. Dapatan merumuskan cabaran yang dikenalpasti adalah merangkui tiga tema utama iaitu, faktor warga emas, halangan amalan dan pelaksanaan penjagaan, serta kekangan struktur dan sumber persekitaran. Kajian ini menyimpulkan bahawa kelemahan penjagaan mulut adalah manifestasi daripada kelemahan sistem ekologi yang menuntut pendekatan biopsikososial. Tiga cadangan yang dikemukakan iaitu mewajibkan program latihan kepada penjaga, membangunkan model penjagaan pergigian domisiliari yang bersepadu, dan meningkatkan kapasiti institusi untuk mengatasi beban tugas penjaga. Kesimpulannya, hasil kajian ini menegaskan kepentingan mengintegrasikan penjagaan sosial dan kesihatan mulut bagi memperkukuh kualiti perkhidmatan secara menyeluruh untuk kesejahteraan mereka.

Abstract: Malaysia is projected to reach an aged nation status as early as 2030. Therefore, emphasis on holistic geriatric care, including the aspect of oral health, must be prioritised. Crucially, oral health aspect as a crucial component of overall wellness and quality of life remains systematically neglected in elderly care settings. Multiple implementation challenges compound this persistent failure to integrate social care and oral health. Consequently, this study aimed to explore the specific social care challenges regarding the oral health of institutionalized elderly in Selangor. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants, 10 caregivers and 8 residents at a government care facility. The data were transcribed verbatim and subjected to rigorous thematic analysis. Findings reveal that interconnected challenges cluster around three main themes: older adults’ factors, barriers in care practice and implementation, and structural and environmental resource constraints. The study concludes that poor oral care is a clear manifestation of a poor ecological system, demanding a robust biopsychosocial approach. Three concrete recommendations emerge: mandating comprehensive caregiver training, developing an integrated domiciliary dental care model, and enhancing institutional capacity to alleviate caregiver burden. Ultimately, these results underscore the vital imperative to integrate social and oral health care to ensure the well-being of the elderly.

 


Keywords


Social care; oral health; older adults; challenges; integration

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/ebangi.2026.2301.25

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