Failure to Arrange Timely Dental Services After Consultant Recommendation
Penalty
Summary
A deficiency was identified when the facility failed to arrange for timely dental services for a resident following a dental consultant's recommendation. The resident, who had a history of oral/dental health problems including missing and broken teeth, complained of tooth pain to both staff and family. The care plan documented ongoing oral health issues and required staff to monitor and report symptoms such as pain, missing or broken teeth, and other oral abnormalities. Despite a dental consult identifying the need for extractions of fractured and retained root tips, there was no evidence that the facility made arrangements for the recommended dental treatment. Interviews with the resident, the resident's son, and facility staff revealed that the resident continued to experience dental pain and had not received follow-up care after the dental consult. The DON and unit manager confirmed that no appointment had been set for the necessary dental extractions, and the facility's dental service provider had not received a referral for the resident. The lack of follow-up persisted until the surveyor's intervention, indicating a failure to provide or obtain necessary dental services within a reasonable timeframe as required.