Failure to Consistently Provide Oral Hygiene Assistance
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to consistently provide activities of daily living (ADL) care in the area of oral hygiene for a resident who required assistance due to hemiplegia affecting the left non-dominant side. The resident, who was cognitively intact, reported that staff did not soak or wash dentures at night, and observation confirmed the dentures were soiled with food debris. Review of the care plan indicated the resident needed limited to extensive assistance with personal hygiene, including oral care. Documentation showed that oral hygiene was not completed after the evening meal on 13 out of 31 days in March. During an interview, the DON acknowledged that evening shift staff would mark oral hygiene as 'Not Applicable' if it was already documented as completed by a previous shift, resulting in inconsistent provision of oral hygiene care after the evening meal.