Failure to Screen Resident for Safe Smoking Practices
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure that a resident received adequate supervision and assistance to prevent accidents by not conducting a safe smoking assessment as required by facility policy. A review of the electronic medical record for the resident revealed no documentation of a safe smoker screening. The DON stated that a smoking screen is performed on every resident upon admission and that residents who smoke are provided with education and added to a smoking list managed by activities staff. However, the DON indicated that the resident in question did not smoke and would only be screened if she chose to start smoking. Contrary to the DON's statement, an activities assistant reported observing the resident smoking and confirmed that the resident had cigarettes stored in a lockbox designated for residents' smoking supplies. Upon review, the resident's name was found handwritten at the bottom of the smoking list, suggesting a lack of formal inclusion and oversight. The facility's policy requires a safe smoking assessment for all patients electing to smoke, but this was not completed or documented for the resident involved.