Nursing home neglect can affect many areas of care. One often overlooked area is oral hygiene. Oral health can affect the overall health of the already at risk population and there is little dental care in place in many of the country’s nursing homes. But dental care is starting to get better and they are even offering their patients Invisalign in Calgary.
A resident of a Kentucky nursing home contracted a potentially life threatening gum infection because the staff failed to remove her dentures for six months. A staff member was told of the woman’s dentures when she was admitted, but it was never noted in the chart. From there on out, the teeth were believed to be natural. The dentures were never removed or properly cleaned in the six months she had been under the nursing home’s care. It wasn’t until the resident’s face started to swell that she was examined by a dentist, who discovered that the dentures were corroded and had not been cleaned in quite some time.
The nursing home was issued a Type A citation, which qualifies an event as an immediate threat of death or injury to a nursing home resident. The home lost federal funding and has been temporarily shut down. The residents have been transferred to other facilities.
Oral Health Affects Overall Health
Many nursing home residents have physical and psychological disabilities that make caring for themselves difficult or impossible. These residents need the staff to be attentive to thinks like oral care in order to prevent the physical complications that can result. Eating less and losing weight is one problem associated with poor dental care, something that can cause severe problems in the elderly.
Better oral care is desperately needed in many nursing homes and can easily be improved upon. Training the facility staff in dental hygiene is one small change that can significantly enhance the care of your loved ones. Long-term care facilities are required by law to follow certain guidelines and protect the health of their residents.
Nursing home neglect lawyers always recommend frequent and unscheduled visits to the facility where your loved one resides. The best way to be aware of the kind of care the home provides is to show up often and unannounced. Advocate for your loved one’s quality of life by doing what you can to improve it. If that fails, turn to the nursing home neglect lawyers at the Mininno Law Office, who will advocate for your loved one’s legal rights.
Nursing Home Neglect Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
If your loved one’s dental hygiene is not being cared for, they could be in very real danger of more serious complications. You should discuss this issue with the staff at the nursing home and, if you aren’t completely satisfied with the responses you are receiving, contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation. You may also call for a free consultation at (856) 833-0600 in New Jersey, and (215) 567-2380 in Philadelphia.
Let the nursing home neglect lawyers at the Mininno Law Office fight for your loved one’s rights.