Failure to Provide Timely Dental Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident received both emergent and routine dental care as required. The resident, who had a history of multiple medical conditions including dysphagia, aphasia, heart disease, and obesity, was identified in the care plan as having two broken teeth and difficulty chewing. Interventions in the care plan included coordinating dental care and monitoring for oral health issues. Despite these interventions, documentation showed that the resident continued to report tooth pain and difficulty chewing over several months. Nursing staff observed missing and broken teeth and offered pain medication, which the resident declined, and initiated a referral to a dentist. However, there was no documented evidence that the resident was actually seen by a dentist or that the facility followed up to secure a dental appointment. Further review revealed that the resident had not received a dental exam since early in the previous year, despite ongoing complaints of dental pain and visible oral health issues such as broken and missing teeth with obvious caries. Interviews confirmed that the resident had repeatedly requested to see a dentist and continued to experience pain when eating. The facility's policy required assistance in obtaining both routine and emergency dental care, including making appointments and arranging transportation, but these actions were not completed for this resident.