Failure to Arrange Denture Replacement After Loss in Facility
Penalty
Summary
The deficiency involves the facility’s failure to obtain dental services to replace dentures for a cognitively intact resident who was admitted with documented upper and lower dentures. The facility’s dental service policy states it is responsible for loss or damage of dentures when caused by staff misplacement, inadvertent disposal, or destruction. On admission, the resident’s personal effects inventory and admission progress note documented that she wore upper and lower dentures. The resident had a diagnosis of severe protein calorie malnutrition, and a Brief Interview of Mental Status (BIMS) score of 13 indicated she was cognitively intact. Shortly after admission, a provider encounter note and physician orders documented that the resident required a dental referral for denture replacements. Despite the physician order and policy, the Scheduler acknowledged that no denture replacement appointment was made, even though she was aware of the order and believed the dentures had been lost at the hospital. During observation and interview, the resident was edentulous and reported she had her dentures for one or two days after admission before they went missing in the facility, and that she had informed staff but only heard that the facility was “working on it.” The DON stated she had not seen the resident with dentures and was unaware until the survey date that the dentures were missing, despite the admission inventory documenting their presence and the existing dental referral order. As a result of these inactions, the facility did not provide the required dental services to replace the resident’s dentures in accordance with its own policy and the physician’s order.
We Help Long-Term Care Teams Stay Survey-Ready
We process and analyze inspection reports and plan of correction using AI to extract insights and trends so providers can improve care quality and stay ahead of compliance risks.