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YOU are responsible!! Everything taken in there is taken it at own risk whether it is needed or not. It is a nursing home residents go in and out of people rooms all the time which cannot not be helped as staff can not always be there and have eyes in the back of there heads! The residents may pick up other residents items and misplace them or flush them down the toilet this cannot be helped! Yes inventories are taken but that's just so we can see exactly what is missing on discharge so we can inform families! As for the puréed diet comment, yes resident may be put on soft diets but this doesn't mean everything has to be purreed, there are still foods they can eat if they are easily mashed or cut up/ pulled apart. It's part of their dignity!!
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I have a friend who is a care cooridnator nurse for a hospital. When her mother w/dementia was in a NH, the NH lost her dentures. My friend INSISTED that they replace them - and they did!

So - the clear message here is to NOT ACCEPT this loss as YOUR problem - make it clear that you consider it THEIRS. Insist that they replace the lost item asap! You must document - in writing - this loss and your insistence/expectation that they replace it/them! (And be sure to keep a copy for your files!) You may also find that you have a better "response" if you also CC APS, your state Dept of Health, Senior Services, whomever could have an interest! - on the letter.
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I was not finished last Question. I reported this to Quality management while on. 8 mg diluted, 10 mg IR. Opana, 2mgs klonipin & injection of 50 mgs of an help with my nausea. When the Quality nurse took my statement. I could hardly keep my eyes open. My husband called about my dentures as the dentist had advised . They told him to have me do them & they would reimburse for the cost. I received a letter a couple days before my appointment saying they are not responsible. I have talked to the high ups the executive team & they said they were not there so they would have to go by what Quality control told them. They were not their either. The lady Katie who was over my case said she didn't even believe my dentures were on my tray. I have been soo depressed & feel so ugly I have not left my house except to go to my doctors appoints. I look like a 85 year old women. What can I do? I do not want pureed food forever.
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I was admitted to a regular hospital l. John Muir medical center in Walnut Creek ca.I had a routine. I did everyday since I was admitted to the hospital Oct. 30,2015 -Dec 4, 2015. About 2 wks. Into my stay l got a CNA I had never had before. I think her name was Marsola. She came in yelling saying she was taking my dinner tray. I told her I was not done with it She pick it up & headed for the door. I told her I needed to get something off my tray she just left my room & knocked over the picture of water that spelled all over my cell phone, table & floor. I had a towel on my lap to try& dry up my cell & other items that were on the table. pressed my call light. It took them 15 - 20 minutes to get to my room. I told them about the dentures they looked for them & called down to the kitchen but, they were already gone. The nurse could see I was up-set about my dentures. She told her I couldn't believe my dentures were gone. She said it happens a lot. but, the hospital will cover them not to worry. Then I got really sick from a blood bactira that was caused from nurses not washing there hands. My fever went up to 104 I .9. I was unconcouse when I woke up I noticed my ring my mom gave for my wedding ring she got it from her great grandma. It was white gold with emerals & diamonds my finger was so red were the ring was. I think someone took it off my finger my finger it was worth a lot of money. The told me the changed my bedding while I was a sleep because I had a CNA help me look on my bed & wanted her to check the linens, The had already went down to laundry .I asked if I should put tape on my right hand to protect that ring. They said it was really tight to not put tape on my ring. Then I woke up a few days later to find that ring missing.
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Belairio, check the admission agreement. Most say they will not be responsible for hearing aids and dentures, because so many residents misplace theirs. If you actually saw her drop them, go to the Director and file a complaint.
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Nurse dropped mums teeth in nursing home and broke them, they say they are not responsible,I believe that they are ,can anyone help with answer
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My Mom has been in a nursing home since August 2014. I had no idea that is was the norm for things to go missing. I, like so many others on this blog, mark every item of her clothing with indelible ink, but it seems to make little if any difference. She is always wearing something when I see her, but a huge percentage of the time the clothing is not hers. My biggest dilemma is the hearing aids. She had already lost one before she went into the nursing home, and soon thereafter, the other was also missing. A nurse found it on a tray but it went missing again and has not been found. I bought her new hearing aids - not the super expensive ones but not cheap. I cannot bring myself to deliver then to the nursing home, because I know the chances of them being secure are slim to none. I see my Mom 3-4 times per week. I am thinking perhaps I will bring them with me only for my visits and then take them back with me, but I think that will upset her and make her protest (like a child does) - Oh, I won't lose them! This phenomenon related to nursing homes seems ubiquitous, and I have now let go of being angry, upset, and sad about the missing items. If I buy her any clothing now it is from Goodwill (which is a good cause anyway, so it's a good thing!). I have spoken to administration numerous times. They say they will look for the items, but I suspect the problem is too large for there to really be a good answer. Otherwise the nursing does a super job with my Mom. I'm actually glad to know that it seems to happen everywhere and not just where my Mom lives. Oy.
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My husband is currently in a rehab and took his teeth out for the night wrapped them in a napkin and dozed off too sleep.
When he woke up the next morning they were gone
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Thanks for all the information given by all. My mother has alzheimer's and they have misplaced one complete set plus two upper dentures and they told us they were not responsible for any personal items (all personal items) that are brought into the facility. Her underwear goes missing, body lotions, hair accessories you name and it goes missing. These rules of NOT responsible for personal items gives the staff the authority to STEAL anything they want with no consequences. It's just immoral.
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MIL lost partial while in rehab. We were the ones that had to ask where they were. They didn't know when they were last there. No one knew. Checked with kitchen, aids etc. They were concerned for that afternoon. That was it. Nothing else was said. Can't expect them to keep track of teeth or glasses because they couln't even keep track of the alarm that was supposed to be put on MIL. When we went in to visit we always had to ask where is her alarm? Isn't it supposed to be on her? We would find it on the tables, etc. Everywhere but on her. Once it was in the back of her wheel chair pocket. It was unbelievable they couldn't put something so important for her safety back on her. Same with using the safety belt. They are too rushed and not enough help. You should not have to wait 15 minutes for someone to come in and help you get to the bathroom. Once they found out that we would not be leaving her there so we could private pay $11,000.00 a month her therapy and ability to do things for herself were amazing how quickly she was ready to go home. We are checking out places to place her when we have to so we won't be rushed into an unfit NH again. You go in not knowing anything and the things you learn (on your own) are unreal. If you don't know what to ask you are in trouble. Keep reading everyones posts. You will learn alot about what goes on in these places.
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I have worked as a CNA for years before getting my RN and I feel the frustration. Unfortunately being an aide is a tough, mentally, and physically demanding job with relatively low pay. The certification is easy to get and renew. I guess what I'm saying as that like in any field there are completely incompetent, carless, rushed, burned out, and simply uncaring employees. Though this surly isn't the norm and those who are good are clearly spotted, it takes just one person, one time for something like this to happen. (or God forbid something MUCH worse) Being in that situation when I did shift change or bed check or report I would visually identify the person, know when they were last toileted/changed. I want to know how they ate that day, any change in mood, behavior, anything worth mentioning. I also make sure they have their "valuable items" ie dentures, any assisted device really but especially any with significant monetary value. I have come across MULTIPLE times when a residents dentures have gone missing. I ask where are they? Who got them dressed this morning? Who last saw them wearing them or who took them out the night before? Search the room, tell the charge nurse, tell housekeeping, laundry, dietary. Somehow NO ONE KNOWS! Not always the case as often they do turn up, and too often other residents wander, hoard, hide, and unintentionally take things. I have seen infinite behavior that includes, rummaging, repetitive movement. Ambulatory residents with Dementia or other specific behavior ideally should stay in Memory Care/Lock Down/Special unites. Either an entire facility catering to this need or a care community including multiple levels of senior care. ALL NURSING HOMES ARE NOT EQUAL. A few carless actions can result in sever loss in many ways. If you have the ability to do so, be selective, talk to the staff, (a good idea would be to go out and ask questions to staff of smoke breaks, a lot of hot gossip and loose lips guaranteed) If you feel something is wrong it probably is. The squeaky wheel does get the grease. Your reluctance to give up or let it go could help weed out the unfit staff, and prevent other losses. Most people, I know, genuinely care about the residents well being and do their absolute best. It's obvious in a short amount of time which employee genuinely gets satisfaction of caring for others. Even the most difficult person suffering with a disability deserves great care. GOOD LUCK! COMPLAIN! If you have a family member who is good at confrontation, (loosing your cool wont help your case though) have them help you. Talk to the DON, Executive Director, social worker, and ombudsmen. If you see neglect, or abuse, it is your responsibility to stop it, and report it. Love life and Love geriatrics!!!
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Can I place a nanny cam in my moms memory care room if she lives by herself?
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Oh Boy I can totally relate to theses posting. My mom just got her upper and lower dentures and within less then a week they were lost. My mother too would take them out and wrap them in tissue as she was not use to having the new set of dentures. The facility called and notified me that my mothers dentures were missing and that they are looking for them... needless to say it is now December and they have been missing the beginning of November. I told them that my mom would store items in her pocket and maybe it was in the machine, but these people rarely check pocket because that's why her clothes were filled with ink stains from pens stored in them. They offered to replace the damaged clothes but never said anything about the lost and mystery of the vanishing dentures... Help! I really like this facility but i am beginning to notice that if i complain the rate changes on my moms individualize care... some advice needed!
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My mom has been in a long term care facility for the past 8 years. In that time the PSW's have lost 4 sets of dentures and untold pairs of glasses. My mom is in a wheelchair, has Parkinson's and cannot move herself. She now has dementia so most likely could not remove her own dentures or if she did they would be in the immediate area of her wheelchair. The last set of dentures were lost within 2 weeks of replacement. No one seemed to know what happened to them, it's like they vanished into thin air. The facility was at a loss as to where they went. Most likely in the laundry or the garbage. I got one set replaced by the city's "necessary personal items plan" but they only replace one set every 6 years. The set after those were replaced by the facility (for 1200$) after much intense discussion about how my mother lost a lot of weight the last time she had to go without her teeth because she refused to eat pureed (disgusting) food. We also wrote a letter to the director of care and c.c.'d it to the head nurse. We let them know we would go as far as it took to make people aware of this situation, even the press. I'm sure it wasn't the facilities policy, but I am a frequent visitor and have a rapport with the staff and they agreed it would be detrimental to her health. I discussed the situation with them civilly, yet they were very aware of my frustration at the situation. 10 days later her top teeth were lost! They again replaced these, much to their chagrin (and another $1200). I have actually made the entire facility more aware of the importance of glasses and dentures and now the floor nurse cares for and removes these items personally and keeps them safely in the narcotics room or the medication cart. So far that system is working even though they only give my mom her dentures to eat and then remove them. That was a compromise on our part as she has difficulty communicating without them but it's better than losing this set. My advice would be to let them know you will not give up in making sure that your loved one has their dignity and comfort in their last years. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
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fajita, if she is in assisted living, the price is based on the expectation of providing a certain level of care. That probably doesn't include being with the resident each time she removes dentures or hearing aids, especially since she could decide to do that randomly, or she could decide to hide them later. You could get additional services by paying more, but unless you can provide around-the-clock monitoring I'm not sure how you could prevent these losses. (It is not like someone takes them out of her ears or mouth.)

My husband put one pair of hearing aids in the microwave. He lost one of the next pair, got it replaced, and then lost the whole pair. All of this was while he was at home with me. I was with him 24/7, kept a reasonable watch over him (more than assisted living would provide) and still these losses managed to happen. Each time the lost item was replaced by Medicaid, but we were told that if it happened again I would have to write a letter explaining his dementia. He did lose another pair, but I did not write the letter or get a replacement because he was on hospice.

He has been gone a year. I keep expecting to run across one or more of the missing aids, but so far they haven't shown up!

Your problem is exasperating, I relate to that! But it isn't really something the ALF can control.
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Get the dentures replaced by the lab. I guarantee the old ones will turn up as soon as you get them. It always happens that way. And get a nanny cam to see what she does with the new pair. You may be surprised.
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My mother has dementia and has lived in an assisted living facility for 3-4 years. We purchased hearing aids shortly after her move; they disappeared within 2 mos.; 2 sets of dentures were made and lost (2nd pair disappeared in 48 hours--1 pair replaced by the facility). My mother's care is becoming a money pit. No one wants to take the time to check for glasses, dentures, toenails properly manicured. The facility reports that they cannot watch my mother at all times--she's a people person--she visits within the facility and spends 2 evenings + Sunday church with my brother; we go to hairdressers every 3 weeks. What is a simplified way of having the care givers pay a bit more attention to small but expensive appliances that cost almost as 1 month's rent?
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My grandfather was recently taken into a local hospital for severe diarrhea. He is 89 and has Sundown dementia. While the confusion typical happens only at night, the unfamiliar place and all of the people coming in and out of the room made his confusion pretty bad for the entire stay (2 1/2 days). He was also given pain medication (he also has a a 20 year old knee replacement that needs a revision). When he got to his room, the nurse indicated in his chart that he wanted to keep his hearing aids in (she asked him directly) and he said yes (the chart also indicates that he was lucid at that time). The nurse never formally took control of the hearing aid. I was in the room when the initial nursing history was taken. She NEVER asked him about his hearing aid. He had it that night when I left (around 830-9). When I went over during my lunch break at 11 the next morning, it was nowhere to be found. We looked all around the room. The linen company was called, the bed was pulled apart, the kitchen was searched (in case he put it on his tray). It was gone. I contacted the customer service person at the hospital (who in turn contacted the risk manager) and was told that they are not a "hearing aid factory" and that they cannot be responsible for this. She was condecending and rude and and kept trying to change the subject. I finally cut her off and hung up.

Here are my problems:

1. They knew he had dementia and was particularly confused during his stay.

2. The nurse never asked for possession of the hearing aid.

Do I have a case? Will it benefit my grandfather if I throw a fit and start threatening legal action? The hearing aid was 1700.00. Studies show that hearing aids contribute to decreased confusion in dementia patients.

I'm not sure what to do.
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great idea
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The nursing home my grandmother is in just added a new product on the walls - it is a plastic plate with a large picture of teeth, ears and glasses. There is another cup that fits into the plastic piece that fits denture cups and glasses and hearing aids. The nurse said since they put them in they have seen a dramatic decrease in losses. they are called TEECUPS I think...
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My MIL broke her hearing aide on purpose and when it was fixed she threw it away she did not want to hear what was said to her she was only interested what she had to say and she did admit she had thrown it away but I would follow up on missing items esp. if the resident is alert.
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I worked in a nursing home for years and I can tell you that the things that get replaced are too families that yell the loudest! File a grievance with the social worker or the local ombudsman so there is a paper trail and they have to replace them as long as they are on the original inventory list when admitted.(insist for a copy for your files on admit..
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BOBBY: Most nursing homes are NOT responsible for 'personal effects and prostethics (dentures included). BUT if the person is of diminished capacity and needs help with all personal care, then stipulation should have been made regarding these items.

My mother also 'lost' her dentures, not sure what really happened but I have my suspicions, and the nursing home DID replace her dentures since my mother was completely unable to care for herself, but I am sure this is NOT the norm.

To be honest with you, I really wish they had NOT replaced her dentures. She ate better without them, she was happier without them, and they always seemed to bother her mouth. My mother ended up with THRUSH in her mouth, which I think contributed to her further decline. (but I am off on a tangent)

TALK to the Administrator or Director about what the nursing home does and does NOT cover! Things go missing or are 'reappropriated' all the time in nursing homes. It DOESN'T make it right, but I have seen it many times where my mother was.

If you get her dentures replaced, have the dentist ENGRAVE them with her name so if they are found, won't be thrown away by the staff.

p.s. EVERY time I read about these problems I am reminded that 'we' need to work on making sure that nursing homes and facilities that care for our elders/us are the best they can be!! As the next aging residents in these facilities (GOD FORBID) we have to ensure that these facilities get BETTER!
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who is responsible the nursing home or my mother to replace the dentures
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In my opinion responsibility is contingent on your mothers cognitive functioning. Specifically if she is not alert and oriented and has short term memory deficits such as dementia then the facilty should have their staff, e.g., RN/CNA's, house keeping etc pay special attention and ensure the dentures are put in a safe place such as in a denture case etc. If your mom is altert and oriented has no short term memory deficits and is abled bodied then she should be responsible and should have put them in a safe place.
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rip: thanks for reposting these sites...I have been looking for something like this all week...hate those sites where you have to "sign up" before they let you in...
thanks again,
Lilli
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Did you see the post a couple of days ago about senior facility care reviews?

Report 'them!
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Today I am even more livid. There was an order for pureed food but for lunch my Mother got turkey slices. The nursing facility is really going to get slammed on Monday when my Husband shows up again.
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My Mom's lower denture was lost on day 3 after she was admitted to the nursing home. I didn't know about it for a week but was livid when i found out. It's partly mom's fault because she wraps her dentures in a tissue then puts them on the night stand - they got swept up by house keeping the thrown away. .In her case, she'd just gone on medicaide a month before so she got a complete new set of dentures - they're allowed 1 every 5 years. If she didn't have medicaide, I'd have to argue with them about the loss and would force them to pay at least half since it was partly mom's fault. If it was ALL their fault, then I'd force them to pay if it meant complaining to the state daily until I got action.

The thing about the glasses really ticks me off especially since glasses are specific to an individual. I can't believe they'd be so dumb as to give her someone elses glasses.
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My Mother's dentures were never placed in the denture cup. For the last week, the denture cup has been on her bureau not on the nightstand. She never removed her dentures during the day, only at night. I believe this is nothing more than negligence. My poor Mom has only been in this facility for 5 months, you can't imagine the things that have been lost. Good thing she doesn't have a prosthetic limb, that would be the next to go.
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