We have a resident who is constantly losing her dentures. Can you offer some ideas that we may not be thinking of to keep track of them?
I used to have some dentures that I wish we could put a GPS system on! Maybe the dental supply field will hear us in the future and develop a GPS-type chip to be put in the dentures, and make our lives easier!
In the meantime, here are some suggestions to help keep from losing them, or at for finding them easier:
• Find out what time the resident loses the dentures (after 6 p.m. in the middle of the night, etc.) so that you have a better idea on the time to check on them.
• Assign the nurse to sign them out, just like a MED in the med book. The nurse can write something like the following: “Put teds on at hs and remove in a.m.”
• Talk to the family. They may have an area in the past where they like to put things. For instance, I know people who hide their jewelry in old blazer pockets in the closet for safekeeping.
• If you need to remove them for safekeeping, keep them in a denture cup in the top drawer of the med card labeled with the resident’s name.
• You also can get a craft engraver or a denture labeling kit and label the dentures if the dentist does not already do them.
• Until you have a routine that keeps the dentures from becoming MIA, use different-colored trash bags for that hallway (the problematic hallway) or that resident’s room, etc. Then, all trash bags and laundry bags must be double-checked before disposal by a supervisor or housekeeping.
• Make the CNAs clean all the paper products off the tray before sending them back to dietary. Shake out all napkins.
• Have a CNA, for one whole day (days and evenings) follow the resident at a distance to see where she likes to go, where the “cubbyholes” are and other frequent areas of interest.
From the July 01, 2008 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
