Failure to Prevent Smoking Hazards for Resident with Repeated Violations
Penalty
Summary
A resident with a history of smoking violations was not adequately protected from potential smoking-related accidents. The resident was assessed as having adequate memory and cognitive function and was care planned to smoke independently, with interventions including smoking in her room, no smoking signs, and not allowing removal of cigarettes. Despite these interventions, documentation and staff interviews confirmed that the resident repeatedly smoked in her room, in violation of facility policy, and kept all smoking materials in her possession. Observations revealed evidence of smoking in the resident's bathroom, including a plastic cup with tar-colored liquid, coffee grounds, a strong odor of smoke, loose tobacco on the floor, and a bag of loose tobacco on the resident's wheelchair. Staff interviews indicated that the resident would not allow staff into her room without knocking and waiting for a response, making supervision difficult. The resident refused to have her smoking materials stored at the nursing station, despite being assessed as unsafe with her own smoking materials. The facility's policy required residents to smoke only in designated areas and allowed for revocation of smoking privileges for non-compliance, but the resident continued to smoke in her room. The administrator and DON confirmed the facility's policy and the ongoing non-compliance.