Accreditation Agency: Watchdog with (rotten) teeth?

[danielle]

Did anyone see the whistle blower dentist Dr Clive Rogers, on Lateline ABC the other night?

If you didn't - it was an eye opener regarding dental care - and the alleged lack of interest and inaction displayed by both the Department of Health and Ageing AND the Accreditation Agency regarding dental health of people in nursing homes.

Wouldn't it be interesting to know how many homes have failed on the accreditation standard 2.15 - Oral and dental care?

Going by what Dr Clive Rogers says, not many!

[Snappo]

Are you kidding me, Danielle? I work in aged care, believe me, it's the very rare carer who takes the time to either oversee, or actually clean the teeth of the residents they assist to bed, or assist up in the morning. I know this because when I have assisted in another wing with a 2 x assist resident, the carers I am helping very, very rarely head for the basin and the toothpaste after toileting and changing. They look at me as if I'm silly when I suggest such a 'time wasting' activity. This is far more prevalent in dementia, as opposed to low care aged care, they, at least, are able to do their own teeth if they are so inclined and the carer 'forgets'.

This, again, gets back to staffing levels. The main reason teeth aren't seen as important is because the carer simply doesn't have the time to spend. It can be a lengthy process battling with a dementia resident to give up their false teeth for the purpose of cleaning. In extreme cases, once the teeth are out, they don't go back in again, the resident has a pureed diet to compensate. Isn't this appalling, but it's the truth.

[Sally]

Yep, Snappo,

So very true, seen this one as well!!

My dear mum lost her teeth in a Hospital (actually she didn't lose them, someone else did) and it took many weeks to have them replaced. While they were still missing she was sent to Rehab from where we finally had to rescue her . At the end of it all we wish we had taken her home without the teeth. She would have been much better off, and so would we !!
Now I'm lost for words, but you know what I'm thinking !!

[At Wits End]

When my family member (FM) has gone to a new facility for respite i now, on every occasion, purchase new toothpaste and send it with her unopened in her see through bag of toiletries. At each place the toiletries are unpacked and put in the bathroom by the staff. . And on two occasions after a stay in two such Aged Care Facilities (ACF) the said toothpaste has been returned unopened when the respite has concluded

[MaryJane]

I work in an Emergency Department and am appalled at the state of patients' teeth. It is obvious the mouth care is not getting done. For my Mum-in-law in a aged care facility ( mum has Alzheimers Disease) we were told they could not force mum to clean her teeth. Mum is docile and if the carer were to lead Mum to the basin, put toothpaste on the brush and go through the motions of teeth cleaning Mum will follow suit. ( she still has her own teeth at 92 but has forgotten how to clean them). The words are "show" and "encourage" not "force". It works in the ED where I work. I think very few staff of whatever rank are aware of the ramifications of a dirty mouth- too many to go into here.

[Administrator]

Hey there MaryJane,

We have an interesting article on the website about dental care - it was written by a Principal Dentist of a general dental practice where there was a special interest in addressing the crisis of the poor standards of dental health of the aged population. This was particularly focused at the residents of some local Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF). Due to lack of funding issues (government cut the funding), an established Mobile Dental Clinic (MDC) has unfortunately now been permanently closed, and the assets sold.

You can read the full article here.

The ramifications of poor dental health for frail and vulnerable residents is shocking. Here are some of the photos Dr. Outridge provided to us for his article:

[paulinek]

That is Disgusting! I brush my mum's dentures twice a day with toothpaste as no one seems to understand that just soaking them in water is not cleaning them. Nothing better than clean dentures, tasting fresh and clean. I am grateful mum has false teeth. Bits of food and pips get stuck underneath so there has to be vigilance. I wouldn't know where to start to try to get them relined or new dentures.

Real teeth? I shudder to think. As I've said in another post, one of my sisters advises all of her clients to have their teeth removed before they get too old as they will rot out if you have to go to a nursing home.
We are living in the 21st century. How is this possible? The other thing that really appalls me, toothaches hurt. Rotting teeth cause pain. How much pain and distress does this neglect cause? Imagine dealing with it whilst trying to survive everything else these elderly people are dealing with every day. It is pure torture. I can think of no other word. It is inhumane. If it was a dog you would be prosecuted for cruelty to animals. Why is there no prevention for cruelty to the elderly? What is wrong?

I also soak my mother's good hand in a bowl of warm water every few days as it is really dirty and there's food under the fingernails. That's what personal care is about. The little things. Without adequate funding for enough staff, these things are not going to be done. I never entertained the idea of caring for mum at home as I was advised she was high care and would need specialised nursing in a nursing home. What a joke. I had no idea how bad the system was.