Failure to Follow Smoking Policy Leads to Resident Smoking in Non-Designated Area and Fire Incident
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to follow its established smoking policy for a resident who was not authorized to smoke, resulting in the resident being taken to a non-designated area to smoke. The resident, who had a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, hypertension, shortness of breath, anxiety, and tobacco use, was assessed as having moderate cognitive impairment and required supervision or assistance with most activities of daily living. The resident's care plan indicated she had been educated that the facility was non-smoking, and interventions were in place to redirect her from attempting to smoke. However, her name was not on the facility's smoker list, and she was not authorized to smoke according to facility records. Despite these restrictions, a CNA took the resident to the patio at the end of Hall 300, which was not the designated smoking area, and allowed her to smoke. The CNA was unaware that the resident was not permitted to smoke and did not know she was not on the smoker list. The designated smoking area, which was equipped with safety measures such as an ashtray, red can, and fire extinguisher, was located outside the dining room, but staff occasionally took residents to the Hall 300 patio due to better lighting. The incident led to a fire on the patio, which was extinguished by another CNA, and emergency services were called. Interviews with staff and the resident confirmed that the resident was taken outside to smoke and that staff were not consistently following the smoking policy or aware of which residents were permitted to smoke. The facility's policy clearly stated that smoking was only allowed in designated areas, and the purpose of these areas was to ensure resident safety and proper supervision. The failure to adhere to the policy resulted in an unsafe situation and property damage.