Skip to main content

Table 3 Themes A and supporting quotations

From: The impact of frailty on oral care behavior of older people: a qualitative study

Theme A: Adhering to routines in order to sustain a sense of self worth

A1

A while ago, I was in hospital for a week where they gave me a special bowl to brush my teeth in. I find that awful, very awful. But there’s no way around it when you can’t stand up. […] I still think I should not skip brushing. […] I wish to feel clean. (woman, 70, severely frail, severe Parkinson).

A2

I just wanted to feel normal again. When you do your daily routines, combing your hair, brushing your teeth, just like you always do, it feels as if you’re not that ill. (man, 75, talking about his recent stay at the intensive care unit after acute renal failure).

A3

I wish to be cared for, I don’t won’t to lie here as a pile of old dirt, that goes for the mouth, for everything. (woman, 86, severely frail).

A4

If a nurse talks to me and brushes my teeth and then she says, well that’s nice and fresh like this, by saying so she lets me know that I still count as a human being. (woman, 80, slightly frail).

A5

You owe it to yourself to maintain a healthy mouth […] I live healthily, I hardly ever take sweets and I brush my teeth every night. (woman, 94, moderately frail).

A6

I like to care for my teeth [….] I like to be able to care for my teeth. It is so important that you don’t neglect your personal care […] they have told me that I have always looked so well after my body and my teeth […] that makes me proud. (woman, 70, severely frail, severe Parkinson).

A7

In that case [if she would not brush and her teeth would be visibly unclean] I’m quite sure that people would think ‘can’t that person brush her own teeth anymore’? (woman, 78, moderately frail).

A8

I thought, all those nurses, they get quite close to you. […] I would really dislike it if they would see me as mister rotting. […] as someone who is too slack to prevent the decay that after all he can do something about. (man, 75, severely frail, talking about his recent stay in hospital).