Why We Need to Monitor

Had a client recently who had to have several teeth out. She lives at a very expensive care facility. The teeth were removed (ten of them). No prescriptions for any pain medication or for follow up oral care. This is a very, very cognitively impaired woman. She cannot express that she is having pain. She has a standing order for tylenol regular "if necessary." One nurse gave it to her, but she received nothing after the extraction. I went in and checked on this the day after the extraction, and had to speak to nursing and the Director of Care. It seems to me that it is pretty obvious that if you have ten teeth out, you are likely to have pain. Pain medication should have been prescribed in case she had pain. This is an example, I think, of very poor care, and very poor dental work.