Model of oral health care programs to achieve self-actualization in nursing homes

In aging society, the life of elderly people should be brighten and be enriched by supporting and maintaining a high standard of their quality of life (QOL). Especially in nursing home, the level of QOL of the residents should be maintained regardless their disability or the degree of care necessary. From our analysis of questionnaire and assessment of the facility-users and care-providers, we proposed an oral health care model referring Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This model represents the role of oral health care to achieve self-esteem and self-actualization of both facility-users and care-providers. Promoting oral health care in nursing home might create hospitable and humanized workplace and living place. Furthermore, the proposed oral health care model would construct more integrated relation between facility-users and care-givers, and it would provide well-being to both, with high standard of QOL.