Failure to Provide Timely Dental Services After Loss of Dentures
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to provide appropriate dental services to a resident who was severely cognitively impaired and dependent on staff for personal care, including oral hygiene. The resident was admitted with multiple diagnoses, including heart disease, dementia, anxiety, and depression, and had upper and lower dentures identified as missing. Despite facility policy requiring referral for dental services within three days of lost dentures, the resident's dentures were not promptly replaced, and there was no evidence of timely dental intervention or documentation regarding measures taken to ensure adequate nutrition and hydration while awaiting dental services. Staff interviews revealed uncertainty about when the dentures were lost and a lack of awareness regarding the resident's current dental status. The Social Service Designee confirmed that the resident should have been seen by a dentist as soon as the dentures were found missing, but the first dental appointment occurred months after the loss. The facility's failure to follow its own policy and ensure timely dental care resulted in the resident being without dentures for an extended period.