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In 2019 my father had several dental appointments to remove all his teeth. After letting the gums heal and having a template made his new teeth were fitted Jan 2020. He loved them and was very happy. Dad is immobile and is totally reliant on nursing staff. He removed his dentures because of discomfort one day in May 2020. They weren't placed in container by staff and haven't been seen since..


Was told by the facility that they aren't liable nor will they finance a new denture set. I feel this is insensitive and unfair. My father wants his teeth, he's 85, he can't enjoy much so at least let him enjoy his food..


This is not replacing a pair of shoes or item of clothing, it is replacing part of my father..

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Usually the contract spells out facility is not responsible for lost dentures, glasses, cell phones. They leave it up to the residents and their friends, family to be responsible for these item(s) Check the contract if you have it available.
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DrBenshir Jul 2020
BUT the family would not have been allowed in to be responsible for anything due to covid lockdown! If there is a contract that protects them you have no choice but to order another set for Dad. I would also make a written complaint to the governing board of the facility, since this is a situation where the staff is solely responsible and family was locked out. They probably weren't even notified at the time the dentures actually went missing.
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This is just another example of why facilities are more expensive than the list price.  I am very sorry.
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Wickham, you don't give any details, like if your father has any cognitive decline. Without having accidentally witnessed what happened it would unfair to blame the staff. Often elders will remove the dentures and put them on their food tray or plate. If the napkin goes on top of that, they get accidentally tossed. It's not that staff's job to check the mouth of every resident after every meal. Please realize that they have turnover in staffing and new people will not even know who has dentures. I'm not sure if his dentist has a "copy" of what was made for him (and I realize it will be expensive) but this would be the easiest/fastest way to replace them. If it is at all a financial option, I strongly recommend implants. I've seen a denture-like plate that they permanently anchor in the gums, so that they aren't anchoring each individual tooth. This will not be the last time you have adventures with dentures. As LOs lose their memories or develop dementia, they will actually take them out, wrap them in something and purposefully hide them. I'm so sorry for this disappointment. I hope you can find a workable solution so your dad can have his teeth and dignity back.
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gdaughter Jul 2020
This is very short-sighted guidance. You can't just "do" implants which are extremely expensive if done well, even if one is financially able. You must have the proper bone structure. In addition you the patient here is described as immobile and dependent on others. This is a surgical procedure exposing him to unnecessary surgical risks as well, unless he and the family believe all that overrides the other concerns.
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Sadly, the facility simply doesn't have the manpower to make checks on things like dentures, hearing aids, removal bridges..etc.

This reminds me of my kids' popping their retainers out of their mouths so they could eat lunch. In the hubbub of getting ready to move out of the cafeteria, they'd forget the retainer and of course the school wasn't responsible for my kids scatterbrained behavior.

I don't think any NH could stand the cost of the replacement of the MANY things that go missing.

I'm sorry for you and dad. Dentures are so expensive. Along with hearing aids--getting old is expensive in so many ways.
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Not sure what the answer is here, but I suggest carefully reading the contract with the facility to see if loss of personal items is addressed at all. It's not like stealing a piece of jewelry, dentures are something only valuable to the wearer. As you say, it's a piece of your father!
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There is no way that anyplace can be responsible for replacing dentures for patients. I have been a nurse and have seen them in garbage, flushed down toilets ruining the system temporarily, left on dinner trays necessitating a thorough search of a kitchen hard at work clearing trays. I have gone through more garbage than I can tell you. It is awful and it is sad, but likely the dentures were left on a tray and got shoveled into the garbage. Be sure that kitchen is aware of this loss. In my experience it is where teeth show up.
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Wickham, check your own home insurance policy. I know that my policy has a clause that insures "a parent, son, daughter, spouse, adult interdependent partner or dependent of the Named Insured, who resides in a nursing home, skilled nursing facility, or intermediate or long-term care facility".
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Hi Wickham, so sorry to hear this but the key statement “he removed them” means that the facility is not responsible for reimbursement. My background is Risk mgmt. and that is clearly a policy of most facilities. The only time the facility is responsible for the cost is if the staff were in possession of the dentures. Such as removing them for any reason. Also check with the dental office that did the fitting since it’s less than a year they usually can help
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Jennifercrane Jul 2020
That is not the case in my facility so she should pursue this. Nor is it the policy where my grandmother was
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Is there a camera In his room? I am curious as to who may have taken them...it's not like something "Disposable" Like a Napkin...could it have been the cleaning lady? Either way, as a "Denture wearer" your father should be reimbursed for those dentures..not only are they expensive and a pain to create, but as you say, they are a Part of Him....I hope you find out what happened to them and that he will soon have a new pair of teeth.
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It commonly happens that dentures are lost At a facility. In my facility we fill out a concern form and ask dietary, nursing, environmental etc if they have fiund a pair of dentures. Sometimes this locates them, but if not our facility pays to replace them. They were list on our watch. Call yo do a complaint.concern. Also call an ombudsman, a person who is an advocate for an individual in a facility. They are able to put done real pressure on the facility. You can also call protective services in your state and file a report of misappropriation of belongings and the state will investigate.
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The staff at my dad's LTC threw out the lower denture that was wrapped in a napkin on his tray. They would not replace them...end of story.
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Look at the contract for his facility to see if they are covered. Also look at your insurance to see if they will cover the cost.
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Just food for thought, where would this end if they took responsibility for things lost? My mother “ lost” her glasses constantly. Usually we found them in a seat cushion but whose responsibility is that? IMO it’s a bit much to expect a worker to do more than a cursory check for items like that, especially since the patient could have wrapped them up, put them under their pillow , who knows where! In many ALFs they’d need a full time staff just to look for things.
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My mom's dentures went missing. It was an expensive loss and we wondered whether we should replace them. Glad we waited to decide. A personal support worker came on shift from days off and she knew exactly where they were. Another resident down the hall had them! Happy for us, but unfortunate for her. This woman had stolen teeth before.
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Dentures are your father's teeth!! How careless for staff to lose them.
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He removed his dentures and placed them... where?

That is a rhetorical question: it would be completely unreasonable to expect you to know. But you must surely equally understand that it is not possible for aides to monitor the whereabouts of every denture at all times. Less than two weeks ago my blood ran cold when I stopped myself throwing an "empty" potato chips packet away in the nick of time - my client had been eating them, a piece got stuck under her dental plate, so she took it out, and where better to keep it safe than in the packet?

Dentures in even my limited experience have already turned up:
in a shoe
inside a pillow case
dressing gown pockets x dozens
spectacles case
wrapped in paper napkins on plates x gazillions
between bed and bedside table
between cushions


So we might know where to start looking. But you cannot expect a facility to shake out and search every paper napkin, every waste paper basket, every plate and mug, every laundry item as a matter of routine.

The key thing is that your father needs his denture. Order another one from the Jan 2020 mould and don't waste any more time arguing about the bill.

To prevent its happening again (or help prevent it, anyway) try to highlight on his care plan that a) he wears full dentures b) he takes them out c) he stashes them; so that the staff are encouraged to develop a routine of checking he's wearing them and, if he isn't and he should be, putting out an APB for them before the garbage is collected or the laundry is taken away.
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disgustedtoo Jul 2020
"But you cannot expect a facility to shake out and search every paper napkin, every waste paper basket, every plate and mug, every laundry item as a matter of routine."

Agreed that no one could possibly search everything all the time, esp when dementia is at play... Mom started with taking out the hearing aid and not remembering where it was. When I would visit and she didn't have it, I would search her room - on bedside table, under it or the bed, sometimes IN the bed. One staff member located it in the bed while making it up, as it was squealing when her hand was near it. That only works when the battery is working. I would find it and sometimes needed to replace the battery as it was dead. Once she told me she didn't wear one (has for MANY years!) when I asked where it was, other times she'd ask where did I find it.

Initially she was okay dealing with it, but eventually I asked that they replace the battery every two weeks, per the provider. Nope. Eventually I got the email saying it went through the laundry and was ruined. While I agree that you can't check everything, shaking out the sheets before putting them through the wash would make sense in ANY situation, as there are things that might end up in there that you don't want going through the washer/dryer (those are expensive to fix or replace!)

The replacement was rechargeable, so I gave the charger to the nurse, otherwise it might get lost or tossed by mom. They WERE aware that she often took it out, even at the table during meals. Sure enough, a few months later, it was AWOL, most likely tossed wrapped in a tissue or napkin! We had a second one (she only wore one), and asked about them reimbursing the $400 needed to get a replacement, just in case. Nope. So, they have it, I don't think she often wears it if at all now, and I won't spend any more money on another. She'll be 97 (going on 2) next month. It sucks, but no point spending money on something they won't even give to her and "watch" over.
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Look at pre-admittance contract; no doubt the facility is covered and not responsible for the loss of personal items.
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I am so sorry to hear about your father’s dentures. You did not indicate if the “facility” put out a search for his dentures. They could have been left on a cafeteria tray, picked up by another resident, thrown in the garbage, the list is endless. Losing dentures is expensive and affects the health of an individual for proper nutrition , facial muscles, etc. I hope you can find them, but be aware it can and probably will happen again. My mother lost glasses one day. They were no where to be found. Then one day I saw another resident wearing my mother’s glasses. I explained the situation to her, and she remarked no wonder she could not see out those glasses because they were not her prescription. My mother also wore dentures, but she gave up wearing the bottoms, eventually she also gave up wearing the the top dentures as well. You probably need to decide to buy another pair. If you visit frequently you can hold them in your possession, if not, the risk of losing them is always there.
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Countrymouse Jul 2020
Lol! - I love the other resident's perspective. Did she even have the nerve to be annoyed about how useless the glasses were?
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Staff at facilities are NOT responsible for personal items - which includes dentures, glasses and hearing aids.

While staff do try to be careful when they handle these items, they have no control over it if a client decides to put his dentures somewhere illogical where they cannot be found. For all you know, your father could have thrown them into a nearby wastebasket. It is unrealistic to expect staff to be pawing through every room wastebasket daily in search for lost personal items.

You father needs a large denture container with his name displayed on it in big letters, and you need to tell him to always place them in the container if he takes them out of his mouth.
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lmb1234 Jul 2020
Seriously, though. I had the same problem with my mother, and no amount of telling her where to put them ever changed her putting them in her robe pocket and/or being thrown inadvertently into a trash can, as others have said. After replacing some 4 sets, at a cost of around $1,000 each, we had to make the heartbreaking, difficult decision to not replace them. Just trying to take her for fittings, adjustments, etc., at 97 with advanced dementia, was simply too much for us.
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Sometimes another resident can take them. My mother was in a nursing home in which one resident, whose physical abilities far exceeded her mental status, would go from room to room taking some things and destroying or discarding others. It was found that she had taken one resident's dentures and thrown them into the waste basket and and also tore up some paperwork she found in the room. I suspect the facility would bear some responsibility in this case, considering that this resident was a known "wanderer". (Unfortunately, this was some seven or eight years ago, and I don't recall the outcome,)
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Did the dentures have his name on them? I never thought about putting a name on dentures till I had to wear a temporary plate after dental implant surgery. The dentist had engraved my name on it. My mom periodically breaks her top plate and the last time it happened, I had her dentist engrave my mom’s name on them. Before Covid19, my daily visit occasionally included a hands and knees assisted hunt for her glasses or teeth. Yuck 🤢.

In addition to the nightly denture soak, I would use an ultraviolet denture sanitizer.
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My mom was also in a skilled nursing facility & bedridden. It's hard because they do rely on someone for everything. I had a small basket on her table she used to put glasses, lipstick, pencil, brush, etc. Of course she also had a closet & nightstand with things in them. But told her & every family member. Anything goes missing we are not complaining. I felt we had a great facility & didn't want to jeopardize that. Mom wanted to always have cash way more than needed I didn't like it but made her happy. Told myself who cares if it's lost she is happy. I understand dentures are expensive but you can't blame the staff. As others said if resident wraps them in napkin, or thinks they placed it on table but it really fell in the bed & got swooped away in the sheets this may have happened to my moms jewerly I watched her several times thinking she placed something on table or basket & it fell on the bed. Things will happen, pick your battles. But know it will happen again. Dentist should have records ask for another set. But first ask staff to look around, ask if found every few days then let it go. I wouldn't get ombudsmen involved or make a higher complaint. We can't be with them 24/7 & we don't know what really happened. Taking good care of my parent & doing something I could not makes me very appreciated for the work they do.
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Primecut Jan 2021
All I can say im glad my partner is back home and I can look after her properly and not rely on the 'professionals'.
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Your Dad is responsible for them.
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Primecut Jul 2020
Not a very helpful answer zippy
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As others noted, most likely the "contract" has wording to cover issues like lost items. More than likely there is a clause covering things like glasses, dentures, hearing aids, etc, never mind jewelry, clothing and shoes or other personal items. This would be esp true in a MC unit, as some residents will go "shopping."

I don't think they are as careful as they can be. When I was first asked to bring in larger undies and clothes, as mom gained 20# in her first year, I was perplexed by some of the under garments I found in her drawer. They assured me each resident's laundry is done separately, but clearly it wasn't. Mom NEVER wore "stretchy" undies and there were multiple pairs in her drawer. During a more recent visit (within a year) she was wearing clothes I have never seen! Hopefully if the real owner's family saw this they wouldn't blame mom!!! By that time she was reliant on a wheelchair and was never one to "shop" anyway.

Despite handing over some "responsibility" for mom's hearing aid (even easier to lose/misplace/toss than a denture) and even more after I had to replace it when it went through the laundry (the new one was rechargeable, so I gave the charger to the nurse, recommended take it from her at night, charge overnight and return in the morning), they still managed to lose one (likely wrapped in tissue or napkin and tossed.) They refused to help cover the minimal replacement cost (the purchase included loss warranty, so only $400 to get another.)

IF the dentist could make a replacement based on the impression from first one (should work, esp if it hasn't been long since it was made), I would recommend the following:

1) have his name engraved on it
2) request they make this part of his care - give them to him at meals and take it away after. He should only really need them at meal times.

Granted it is also a self-esteem thing, esp if he is still mentally aware (no dementia), so his preference might be to have them all the time. But, if he can be reasoned with, explain this is a necessity so that they won't get lost again and he will have them for all meals/snacks. If/when close family is visiting, they can be the ones to request the dentures and "watch" over them during the visit. Return them for safekeeping at the end of the visit. Then he can have his teeth while others are there, making life and his self image a little better for him.
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Frances73 Jul 2020
An elderly aunt was in an adult care home and the staff was less than careful about keeping clothing on the right resident. After she died my cousins were clearing out her room and found a pair of leopard print leggings in her drawer, something my ultra conservative aunt would never have owned! We still laugh about that,
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These places won't replace dentures, they won't replace hearing aids, they won't replace glasses. Our system is horrible. Once I went to visit my mother and she was wearing someone else's glasses. The staff told me I was free to walk around and even go into residents' rooms (!!!) searching for her glasses. I refused to do that. Eventually her glasses reappeared on her face.
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Frances73 Jul 2020
My mother only needs glasses for reading since her cataract surgery. Yet everything I visit the staff has put her glasses on her face. After telling them several times that she only needs them for reading Imwas told that she kept fretting about losing them so much they finally just let her wear them all the time.
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Same thing happened to my partner. She was in hospital in a locked ward for people with dementia. She was taken there for what I thought was going to be a few days to be assessed for suitable medication to ease her restlessness. Told them of late she was removing her denture and was told not to worry as they were used to that. Felt reassured. Well they were lost within a week and when I complained was told 'its the nature of the ward. After I asked them to investigate further the denture was found over a week later. Then they were lost again for good and again was told by the staff 'its the nature of the ward. And these people are supposed to be professionals caring for patients who can't think for themselves. You have got to laugh at their 'professionalism'.
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you didn't put them on the inventory form you're supposed to fill out when you are in nursing homes etc? You're also supposed to keep it updated. If it's on that form, then they are responsible. That's the purpose of the form.
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Imho, order a new set of dentures STAT for your father, albeit whatever the cost may be. At least the new set can begin to be manufactured. Whether the NH's fault or not, to prevent reoccurrence, place in writing in the Nursing Home care plan that your father wears a full set of dentures. The lost dentures may or may not turn up.
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The good news is that the mold for his dentures is new, so you should order another pair right away. In terms of who is responsible, it depends. My dad was ill one day and vomited. His upper dentures were lost by the staff in the clean-up. The facility accepted responsibility and replaced them. It took several months because they had to make new molds. The facility doctor absentmindedly picked up dad's eyeglasses in another instance so sometimes, it really isn't the patient's fault. The person who added that Covid-19 creates a complexity in this issue is right. First, if family can't visit in person, it is difficult to manage all the personal possession issues, and second, replacing dentures is made more difficult because of Covid as well. Talk to the social worker assigned to your dad and see what can be done.
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My late age 94 mother in the mental decline had lost 3 cell phone charger cables at $15 each. She likely thought they were trash because that is where they likely ended up. So the staff and family finally tied a new one with her name on a string to a drawer handle so poor Mom never lost any more!
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