Unsecured E-Cigarette Supplies Kept in Resident Room
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure smoking supplies were locked and secured as required by facility policy and the resident’s care plan. One resident, admitted with diagnoses including hemiplegia and hemiparesis following cerebral infarction, acute and chronic respiratory failure with hypoxia, epilepsy, COPD, alcohol abuse, cannabis use, and tobacco use, had a quarterly MDS indicating intact cognition. The resident’s care plan, dated 02/13/26, identified risk for injury related to smoking, cigarettes, and electronic devices, with interventions specifying that the resident was to be supervised at all times while smoking, wear a smoking apron, and have all smoking items kept at the nurse station. During observation on 03/18/26 at 10:49 A.M., the resident was seen in bed with oxygen via nasal cannula, and an open red metal box containing a disposable e-cigarette (vape) was on the over-bed tray next to the bed. The resident confirmed that he kept the vape in his room in the red box. Two CNAs separately confirmed that the resident had his e-cigarette vape in his room, and one CNA stated he was not permitted to have it there. The DON also confirmed the resident was not permitted to keep e-cigarette supplies in his room. Review of the facility’s “Lionstone Smoking” policy, revised 10/15/24, showed that no smoking materials are permitted with the resident or in their room and that all smoking materials, including vapes, must be kept in lock boxes at the nurse station or designated area. This constituted non-compliance with the requirement to keep smoking materials secured.
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