Smoking

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · Jul 1, 2004

Any of your facilities smoke free? We will be pretty soon. I'm not a smoker and am a little glad that we will be cutting down on all the breaks, but on the other side....that means no smoking for residents. Isn't that thier home?? How does/ would the state look at this?

donmomofnine · Jul 1, 2004

We are a smoke free facility for our residents. This is their home, if they choose. They know we are smoke free before they come and they have the choice of where to live.

We are going smoke free for staff starting in September. We are offering a smoking cessation program for staff. I have a feeling that the hardcore smokers are going to go out to the car and there will be butts all over the parking lot. We'll see how it goes.

donmomofnine · Jul 1, 2004

We are a smoke free facility for our residents. This is their home, if they choose. They know we are smoke free before they come and they have the choice of where to live.

We are going smoke free for staff starting in September. We are offering a smoking cessation program for staff. I have a feeling that the hardcore smokers are going to go out to the car and there will be butts all over the parking lot. We'll see how it goes.

redshiloh · Jul 1, 2004

We are 'smoke free' but patients can go outside to smoke. It is considered a right.

redshiloh · Jul 1, 2004

We are 'smoke free' but patients can go outside to smoke. It is considered a right.

michelle95 · Jul 1, 2004

You know, I have a problem with this. If they want to tell staff they can't smoke that's one thing...but, residents? Is it really hurting someone when they go OUTSIDE to smoke? This is ridiculous.

Old people lose everything when they go to a home. They fit their life's posessions into a small semi-private room. They're told what they're gonna eat, when to go to bed, they have to wait on someone to take them to the bathroom...don't get to go places like they once did,....and the list goes on.

To take their right to smoke away is overboard.

Is that home going to take away their sweets too? What about the person that is 300+ pounds and that puts the food away?

Utterly unbelievable and some of you are ok with that?

michelle95 · Jul 1, 2004

You know, I have a problem with this. If they want to tell staff they can't smoke that's one thing...but, residents? Is it really hurting someone when they go OUTSIDE to smoke? This is ridiculous.

Old people lose everything when they go to a home. They fit their life's posessions into a small semi-private room. They're told what they're gonna eat, when to go to bed, they have to wait on someone to take them to the bathroom...don't get to go places like they once did,....and the list goes on.

To take their right to smoke away is overboard.

Is that home going to take away their sweets too? What about the person that is 300+ pounds and that puts the food away?

Utterly unbelievable and some of you are ok with that?

michelle95 · Jul 1, 2004

I'm sure it infringes on resident's rights and I would certainly be on the phone to the ombudsman with this. If that didn't work...well, there are other places to call.

michelle95 · Jul 1, 2004

I'm sure it infringes on resident's rights and I would certainly be on the phone to the ombudsman with this. If that didn't work...well, there are other places to call.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jul 1, 2004

You know, I have a problem with this. If they want to tell staff they can't smoke that's one thing...but, residents? Is it really hurting someone when they go OUTSIDE to smoke? This is ridiculous.

I would be okay with that assuming the person was capable of safely doing so independently without burning themselves or torching the facility by accident, or wandering off after they finished. Kinda hard if they are capable when they arrive and later deteriorate to the point that they can't. Who decides when they are no longer able? Should staff be expected to facilitate their smoking?

Local ECF's went smoke free with a grace period to allow those who did not want to quit time to find another facility. Harsh, but since the local law mandated it, not a lot of choice.

I have the same issue with patients going off the floor to smoke in the hospital, but I won't hijack the thread.

Edited to add: and most gov't funding for LTC/ECF's mandates provision of a non-smoking environment.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jul 1, 2004

You know, I have a problem with this. If they want to tell staff they can't smoke that's one thing...but, residents? Is it really hurting someone when they go OUTSIDE to smoke? This is ridiculous.

I would be okay with that assuming the person was capable of safely doing so independently without burning themselves or torching the facility by accident, or wandering off after they finished. Kinda hard if they are capable when they arrive and later deteriorate to the point that they can't. Who decides when they are no longer able? Should staff be expected to facilitate their smoking?

Local ECF's went smoke free with a grace period to allow those who did not want to quit time to find another facility. Harsh, but since the local law mandated it, not a lot of choice.

I have the same issue with patients going off the floor to smoke in the hospital, but I won't hijack the thread.

Edited to add: and most gov't funding for LTC/ECF's mandates provision of a non-smoking environment.