COMMITting to effective mouth care for older people living in care homes: developing guiding principles based on evidence and behaviour change theory

Background/Aims Mouth care in care homes is a challenge. Existing evidence and behaviour change theory can be used to help improve mouth care outcomes. This article describes the final phase of a broader research initiative, the Caring Optimally: promoting effective Mouth MInuTes in care homes (COMMIT) study. The aim of this study was to develop a guiding principles resource to support care home staff with delivering mouth care. Methods Researchers with clinical (nursing and dental) and care home expertise drafted the guiding principles resource using mouth care evidence and behaviour change theory. Care home relatives and staff from care homes, dental and health sector settings (n=26) reviewed and developed the resource through taking part in online (n=4) and in-person (n=2) workshops. Results Participants feedback was used to develop and refine the guiding principles resource. Participants suggested additional ways of disseminating evidence and raised topics for further work in this area. Conclusions The guiding principles resource describes the capabilities, opportunities and motivation that care staff need to deliver mouth care. The resource has been developed collaboratively with the care home, dental/health sectors, is accessible and engaging, and available to download. Implications for practice At the care home level, there is a need to consider how the guiding principles resource can be integrated into existing systems, such as staff training programmes and digital care software. For instance, digital prompts could be used to remind staff which mouth care products to use, helping embed good practice into daily routines.