Failure to Provide Oral Care Assistance to Dependent Residents
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide necessary oral care assistance to two dependent residents, resulting in poor oral hygiene. One resident, who required supervision or assistance for oral hygiene and was visually impaired and unable to get out of bed, reported not having brushed their teeth in two months and only being offered help once. Observations confirmed yellow teeth with a whitish substance near the gums, and staff interviews revealed that oral care was not included in the resident's care plan, Kardex, or orders. Staff acknowledged that oral care should have been provided and documented, but it was not, and supplies were not made accessible to the resident. Another resident, dependent on staff for set up or clean-up assistance for oral hygiene and unable to get out of bed, did not have oral care supplies in their room and had not been observed performing oral care recently. Staff interviews indicated that oral care was not happening daily and there was no designated place for staff to document oral care. The care plan identified dental care as a concern and required staff to provide set up assistance after meals, but this was not consistently implemented, and supplies were not readily available.