Failure to Honor Resident Choice for Independent Smoking
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to honor the rights of residents who were assessed as safe smokers to smoke independently according to their personal preference. Despite both residents being evaluated as cognitively intact and safe to smoke unsupervised, the facility required them to adhere to a strict smoking schedule and only allowed smoking at designated times under staff supervision. The facility's policy and smoking assessment documentation indicated that residents deemed safe could smoke independently, but in practice, all residents were restricted to the same supervised schedule. This restriction was not based on individual assessments but rather a facility-wide policy change. Two residents expressed frustration and anxiety due to their inability to smoke when they wished, with one resident reporting increased anxiety and another expressing upset and frustration at having to wait for staff and scheduled times. Staff interviews confirmed that these residents frequently requested to smoke outside of the scheduled times and became upset or anxious when unable to do so. Facility leadership acknowledged the policy was implemented for safety reasons after previous incidents of residents smoking in unsafe areas, but could not provide a reason for restricting independently assessed safe smokers to the supervised schedule.