Inaccurate Smoking Assessments for Supervised Smoker
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that smoking assessments were accurately completed for a resident who smoked, resulting in a deficiency related to accident hazards and supervision. Record review showed that the resident, who had diagnoses including a pressure ulcer, morbid obesity, and diabetes mellitus, was admitted to the facility and assessed as having intact cognition. The resident's care plan identified a risk for injury related to smoking, with interventions requiring supervision at all times and storage of smoking items at the nurses station. However, facility Smoking and Safety assessments completed on two occasions inaccurately indicated that the resident did not smoke, despite the resident being listed as a supervised smoker on the facility's list and being observed smoking with staff supervision in the designated area. Interviews confirmed that the resident had been smoking at the facility since admission, with staff assisting her outside to smoke daily. The DON acknowledged that the completed assessments were inaccurate, as the resident was indeed a supervised smoker. Facility policy required that all residents who smoke be assessed using a smoking assessment and only allowed to smoke in designated areas if determined to be safe smokers. The inaccurate completion of the smoking assessments for this resident constituted a failure to ensure the area was free from accident hazards and that adequate supervision and assessment were provided to prevent accidents.