Failure to Provide Timely Follow-Up Dental Services
Penalty
Summary
A resident with dementia was admitted to the facility and later refused a dental exam and treatment, with the dental provider recommending pre-sedation for any further dental care. The dental consultation report included a handwritten note instructing nursing staff to check the oral cavity for follow-up needs and to make a follow-up dental appointment. Despite a physician's order for a dental consult and documentation of the resident's moderate cognitive impairment, there was no evidence that a follow-up dental appointment was scheduled or completed until much later. The resident's family member reported not being notified of any dental consults and observed that the resident's teeth had not been cleaned by a dentist for about a year. Facility leadership confirmed that the follow-up dental appointment had not occurred until the day of the surveyor's inquiry.