Failure to Provide Dental Services for Resident with Ongoing Dental Concerns
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide routine and emergency dental care for a resident with a history of hemiplegia/hemiparesis, cerebral atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, and anemia. Despite the facility's policy stating that dental services are available through an onsite dentist and that all dental services are to be documented in the medical record, the resident was not seen by a dentist for increasing dental concerns since a previous visit in July. Multiple scheduled onsite dental clinics were documented, and the resident was listed for appointments, but progress notes repeatedly indicated the resident was not brought to the clinic or did not present. There was no documentation that the resident received the necessary dental care during this period. The resident, who was cognitively intact and required setup for oral and personal hygiene, reported ongoing dental issues and pain, stating that despite being told of good dental insurance, they had not seen a dentist and continued to experience mouth pain. Interviews with the Social Service Director and Administrator confirmed that floor staff are responsible for ensuring residents attend dental appointments and that the interdisciplinary team is expected to collaborate to ensure appointments are kept and rescheduled if missed. However, there was no evidence that these processes were effectively implemented for this resident.