Stolen/Missing eyeglasses and full dentures while in Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation Facility. What do we do?
When my husband was admitted to this place on 10/5/2020, he had his glasses and his upper and lower dentures with him. This is shown on the Inventory Sheet, along with several other personal items that are also missing.
I am an Administrator in a facility. I am going about my morning's work when a relative calls me and demands to know where her loved one's dentures are.
I would consider it the height of professionalism to refrain from answering "how the heck should I know?"
Instead, of course, I would say I was very sorry to learn of this problem, that I would try to found out what had become of them, and that I would get back to her by [time]. I would then set out to do just that - but it would be without any high hope of success.
I completely agree that keeping track of residents' belongings is an important aspect of good care; but in the spirit of give-and-take relatives should appreciate that it is not always easy. No Administrator, however experienced and dedicated, can prevent a resident from tucking his denture under a heap of mashed potato.
For some reason, after a person enters a LTC facility, their eye glasses, dentures, hearing aids, or other small personal items, etc. have a tendency to "grow legs and walk off". Where, Oh Where can they be? Who knows?!? 😡 🙎
This is a common dilemma that many LTC and Assisted Living facilities have, and as a result, many facilities have a clause in their admission agreement that states that they "are NOT responsible for lost or misplaced glasses, dentures or hearing aids". A LTC facility could go out of business just replacing all of the items that get "lost" or "stolen" or "misplaced".
I can not tell you how many times various residents' personal belongings have "disappeared". It is similar to the mystery of the "missing sock". Often the resident can no longer remember "where" they put their eye glasses, dentures, hearing aids, etc. I also have known of residents who "hid" their dentures or glasses.
Sometimes residents will take their dentures out after they are done eating and put them in the paper napkins. When the staff cleans off the tables, the dentures get thrown away with the dirty paper napkins. Or the dentures or glasses or hearing aids get put away in a "pocket"--but they either slip out of the pocket or they slipped between the clothing and side arms of tthe person's wheelchair instead of going into a pocket.
Flip cell phones are another item that goes missing. I gave Mom a small purse on a lanyard for her flip cell phone because it kept falling out of her sweater pocket.
Then there are the "wanderers with sticky fingers" such as the one mentioned by Beatty. Many times these people do not remember or understand that they are taking something that belongs to someone else.
Yes, it is extremely frustrating for you (and for the facility staff). Rarely are the items stolen intentionally--unless it is a pair of earrings or a watch or an item that a visitor or family member or staff member would/could wear. And it is even harder to find the culprit who "stole" the items.
Maybe if you provide a small waterproof "purse" that your husband's new dentures can be placed in after he is done eating, he might be less likely to put his dentures in a napkin. Most facilities put the resident's dentures in a denture cup in their bathroom at bedtime.
As to his glasses, you might need to attach them to a "chain" that hangs around his neck while he is wearing them. And then provide a eye glass holder on the overbed table or night stand so that the nursing staff can make sure that your husband's glasses are put away at bedtime.
You will most likely have to purchase replacement dentures and hearing aids, as most facilities will not do so.
If the missing items are clothing, then they are most likely is the laundry room--espcially if they did not have his name on them.
The best thing that you can do is to LABEL EVERYTHING that you take to your husband in the facility and make sure that it is added to the inventory list. Also keep an inventory list of your own so that you know what you take to the facility and what you bring home while your husband is in the facility. It might not prevent the disappearance of an item, but it will prove that your LO had the item.
Hopefully the facility can do room searches - especially the main wanderers' rooms. They may have collected *their" glasses & teeth...
I remember a gentleman who jangled past me in a hospital corridor once. ?? I took a look at him. Bathrobe pockets weighed down & bulging. Hmm. Nurse in Charge emptied out all the mens watches & wallets he had collected going room to room. Apparently it was a favourite pastime in the wee hours when the owners were sleeping. Oh boy! What a job matching them all up to owners!
So very very annoying & costly. I'd try claiming on insurance or asking facility to pay.
You asked the SNF to account for your husband's missing property. And they replied... what?
When was there last a documented sighting of his dentures? The facility ought, really, to be able to tell you that because it should be in his daily care notes.
What do you want them to do? If they have looked and the items can't be found, do you want them to pay for replacements? - If he hadn't had them for very long, will it be possible to reorder your husband's denture from his last impression/fitting?
I'm very sorry for the stress and frustration of all this, only do focus on getting it solved rather than "punishing the guilty." E.g. it really isn't very likely that someone would intentionally steal dentures - what earthly use or value could they have for another person?
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I would consider it the height of professionalism to refrain from answering "how the heck should I know?"
Instead, of course, I would say I was very sorry to learn of this problem, that I would try to found out what had become of them, and that I would get back to her by [time]. I would then set out to do just that - but it would be without any high hope of success.
I completely agree that keeping track of residents' belongings is an important aspect of good care; but in the spirit of give-and-take relatives should appreciate that it is not always easy. No Administrator, however experienced and dedicated, can prevent a resident from tucking his denture under a heap of mashed potato.
This is a common dilemma that many LTC and Assisted Living facilities have, and as a result, many facilities have a clause in their admission agreement that states that they "are NOT responsible for lost or misplaced glasses, dentures or hearing aids". A LTC facility could go out of business just replacing all of the items that get "lost" or "stolen" or "misplaced".
I can not tell you how many times various residents' personal belongings have "disappeared". It is similar to the mystery of the "missing sock". Often the resident can no longer remember "where" they put their eye glasses, dentures, hearing aids, etc. I also have known of residents who "hid" their dentures or glasses.
Sometimes residents will take their dentures out after they are done eating and put them in the paper napkins. When the staff cleans off the tables, the dentures get thrown away with the dirty paper napkins.
Or the dentures or glasses or hearing aids get put away in a "pocket"--but they either slip out of the pocket or they slipped between the clothing and side arms of tthe person's wheelchair instead of going into a pocket.
Flip cell phones are another item that goes missing. I gave Mom a small purse on a lanyard for her flip cell phone because it kept falling out of her sweater pocket.
Then there are the "wanderers with sticky fingers" such as the one mentioned by Beatty. Many times these people do not remember or understand that they are taking something that belongs to someone else.
Yes, it is extremely frustrating for you (and for the facility staff). Rarely are the items stolen intentionally--unless it is a pair of earrings or a watch or an item that a visitor or family member or staff member would/could wear. And it is even harder to find the culprit who "stole" the items.
Maybe if you provide a small waterproof "purse" that your husband's new dentures can be placed in after he is done eating, he might be less likely to put his dentures in a napkin. Most facilities put the resident's dentures in a denture cup in their bathroom at bedtime.
As to his glasses, you might need to attach them to a "chain" that hangs around his neck while he is wearing them. And then provide a eye glass holder on the overbed table or night stand so that the nursing staff can make sure that your husband's glasses are put away at bedtime.
You will most likely have to purchase replacement dentures and hearing aids, as most facilities will not do so.
If the missing items are clothing, then they are most likely is the laundry room--espcially if they did not have his name on them.
The best thing that you can do is to LABEL EVERYTHING that you take to your husband in the facility and make sure that it is added to the inventory list. Also keep an inventory list of your own so that you know what you take to the facility and what you bring home while your husband is in the facility. It might not prevent the disappearance of an item, but it will prove that your LO had the item.
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I remember a gentleman who jangled past me in a hospital corridor once. ?? I took a look at him. Bathrobe pockets weighed down & bulging. Hmm. Nurse in Charge emptied out all the mens watches & wallets he had collected going room to room. Apparently it was a favourite pastime in the wee hours when the owners were sleeping. Oh boy! What a job matching them all up to owners!
So very very annoying & costly. I'd try claiming on insurance or asking facility to pay.
You asked the SNF to account for your husband's missing property. And they replied... what?
When was there last a documented sighting of his dentures? The facility ought, really, to be able to tell you that because it should be in his daily care notes.
What do you want them to do? If they have looked and the items can't be found, do you want them to pay for replacements? - If he hadn't had them for very long, will it be possible to reorder your husband's denture from his last impression/fitting?
I'm very sorry for the stress and frustration of all this, only do focus on getting it solved rather than "punishing the guilty." E.g. it really isn't very likely that someone would intentionally steal dentures - what earthly use or value could they have for another person?