Smoking

night owl · Jul 3, 2004

If the state is now going to decide if I can smoke in my home or not I can only pray that I get hit by a train and squashed the day before I am forced to go into one of those "homes?"

I totally agree. :smokin:

night owl · Jul 3, 2004

If the state is now going to decide if I can smoke in my home or not I can only pray that I get hit by a train and squashed the day before I am forced to go into one of those "homes?"

I totally agree. :smokin:

LPN4Life · Jul 4, 2004

We keep our res cigs and lighter when they want to smoke we give them to them, and they go to their designated smoking area.

I personally feel if a person chooses to smoke, they should be allowed a place to smoke. It is their home, it may not be health to go out and smoke then come in and ask for a breathing TX but that is their choice and we are their to serve them. Good monitoring of these people will allow them to be safe.

And just because I smoke doesn't necessarily mean that I take more breaks that ones that don't. I take my scheduled breaks, and my staff does to, their is nothing saying that just because someone doesn't smoke, they can't leave the unit and go take a break too.

LPN4Life · Jul 4, 2004

We keep our res cigs and lighter when they want to smoke we give them to them, and they go to their designated smoking area.

I personally feel if a person chooses to smoke, they should be allowed a place to smoke. It is their home, it may not be health to go out and smoke then come in and ask for a breathing TX but that is their choice and we are their to serve them. Good monitoring of these people will allow them to be safe.

And just because I smoke doesn't necessarily mean that I take more breaks that ones that don't. I take my scheduled breaks, and my staff does to, their is nothing saying that just because someone doesn't smoke, they can't leave the unit and go take a break too.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jul 5, 2004

My facility provides an indoor room for residents who smoke...the size of a closet. Before they are allowed to use it, they have to have a safe smoking assessment done. .. a study in stupidity because everyone used to flunk...anyway.. if they are unsafe, they are supposed to be given a fire proof apron to wear and be monitored closely. When the CNA's complained about being in a smoky room, they put a window in the door. And, yes, we've had patients gasping their last breaths on O2 being brought down for a smoke.

dosamigos76, RN · Jul 7, 2004

When the "non-smoking lobby" went after non-smoking sections in restaurants? They repeatedly stated that they "weren't trying to make establishments non-smoking, they just wanted a corner of the business"...

Cheryl

jude11142 · Jul 10, 2004

the date our facility went to No Smoking Facility. I don't think that is fair. For instance, we had woman who smokes and was admitted to this facility 2 days after the facility decided to become a no smoking and she was being forced to abide by that decision. She is A&O, and made a fuss about this and was able to smoke outside where we have a smoking allowed section. But now, the facility now makes it clear at the beginning of admission process that there is absolutely no smoking allowed on the grounds. They are asked to sign an official document that states they will abide by this rule. I know that many will disagree with this, but it's not fair to a human being who smokes to be denied that right when there is a smoking section. So, if a resident wants to come to this facility, there are forced to sign that part of the contract. Now, say this resident goes outside and she is sitting/socializing with other residents who were "grandfathered" in and are allowed to smoke. Sorry but that is wrong.

Well, that's my opinion on this topic.

JUDE

nursedawn67, LPN · Jul 11, 2004

We are not smoke free, we have smoking hours. That's when staff takes out some of the residents that choose to smoke and we let them smoke. Only outside in a specifically designated area.

mlolsonny · Jul 16, 2004

the facility now makes it clear at the beginning of admission process that there is absolutely no smoking allowed on the grounds. They are asked to sign an official document that states they will abide by this rule.
JUDE

Jude, there are smoking facilities. I know it may not be as convenient, but if the issue is that important to the resident, perhaps they choose a different facility that is more accommodating. It could turn out bad for business to be completely non-smoking, grounds and all.

I know that the facility where I work will never allow indoor smoking. They never have and never will. But our one smoking resident is able to smoke outside in the employee area (more socialization) or on the front patio. She's a very courteous smoker and doesn't go out on the front patio to smoke when other residents are present.

Our facility makes it crystal clear from the start that staff will never facilitate smoking (help someone unable to smoke independently) and smoking will never be allowed indoors. If the resident and family decide to place in our facility, they agree to those rules.

smk1, LPN · Jul 16, 2004

My point was that non-smokers have the right to be smoke free far more often than smokers have the right to smoke. And that makes no sense because it has been definatively proven second hand smoke is no more dangerous to your health than many colognes are dangerous to my health. Annoying, smelly and aggrivating to a pre-exsisting condition. Oh that's so terrible.
The states are continuing to whittle my freedoms away on the behalf of the noisey ones.

Where has it been definitively proven that second-hand smoke does no harm? this is news to me so if i have missed something i want to know. :uhoh21: (they are still teaching us just the opposite in school.) anyway even if this is true, a person who is just sitting there not smoking, is not affecting the air quality and the breathing response of the person sitting next to him, the way that a smoker affects those around him/her. Those are the simple facts and even if one wants to put it in the category of minor, silly annoyances, it still is disruptive enough to the quality of living for others around the person that it needs to be addressed. I do feel that a person should be able to smoke in their own home or "private" space, but I also am one of those people to whom most cigarrette smoke is "so terrible" that my eyes and nose pour and it brings out an asthma like response. So it bugs me when people complain that non-smokers are infringing on smokers rights. My choice not to smoke isn't causing anyone respiratory distress. A persons choice to smoke (in public spaces) DOES cause me and many other non-smokers respiratory distress. Maybe a compromise of sorts can be arranged in LTC, smokers can smoke only by their open window and with fan turned on blowing the smoke outside, or simply smoke outside. I am torn because it is their "home", but it is also by its very nature, a home with limitations, and has many "public" spaces and the ventilation system can carry the smoke into other areas. I feel bad that elderly people lose control over certain aspects of their life, but at the same time smoking has always been a choice that affects others, (people know that when they choose to start) so inmho the non-smokers right not to deal with the effects of smoke inhalation outweigh the smokers right to keep smoking in the facility.

Texbarbie59 · Jul 30, 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?

I am sorry people feel that employors have the "right" to tell thier employees what they can and can not do to thier body. I am a smoker, and becouse I can not smoke and feel comfortable in many resturrants, they do not get my money. I do not eat there. As far as an employer telling me I can not smoke on MY BREAKS, I think this is comunisum, and is wrong no matter how you look at it. Even when I did not smoke, I did not ABUSE the RIGHTS of others, Employees or Residents!

This makes me so mad for self rightoues people to JUDGE others for "bad Habits" NEXT Residents will be told what clothing they can wear and how they can wear thier hair.

CapeCodMermaid, RN · Jul 30, 2004

TexBarbie-It's hardly the same thing. Smoking is a dangerous activity..it impacts the smoker's health and the health of those around them. Your arguement doesn't make sense. Smoking rules are not made to boss people around or take control of their lives. In a facility( and in just about EVERY restaurant and bar here in Massachusetts) smoking is not allowed because we are HEALTH care facilities and smoking is an UNHEALTHY activity.