- Improving the occupancy rate of special nursing homes through collaboration between dental and nursing care Keyword :oral health management, prevention of aspiration pneumonia, facility vacancy rateThis study evaluates a multidisciplinary oral health initiative at a Fukuoka City nursing home designed to prevent aspiration pneumonia through individualized, risk-based care.Central to the program was a dental liaison conference, where facility staff and external dental professionals conducted monthly reviews of resident status across four domains: general health, oral status, dietary intake, and oral care practices.Through iterative feedback and tailored interventions addressing both hygiene and swallowing function, the initiative achieved a marked reduction in pneumonia cases and unintentional weight loss over a two-year period.Notably, the program yielded significant operational benefits, including a progressive decline in hospital admissions and facility vacancy rates.By the second year, vacancy rates dropped to 75.5% (Q2), 66.2% (Q3), and 33.3% (Q4) of the 2019-2022 average.These results demonstrate that interdisciplinary oral health management improves both resident clinical outcomes and the institutional stability of long-term care facilities.
Mie Imai (Thu,) studied this question.