Posted on 02/26/2006 4:41:16 AM PST by SheLion
A WOMAN in a wheelchair must go outside into the cold weather for a cigarette even though she is 93 - because smoking is banned in her nursing home.
Gladys Gornall, known as Chris, of the Norwood Lodge Nursing Home in Nore Road, Portishead, took up smoking 10 years ago after her husband died.
Daughter Joan Mock, 68, says it is the only thing she has left that keeps her happy.
And she says she fears her mother is more likely to die from exposure to cold winter weather than from smoking.
Mrs Mock said: "She's 93, she's in a wheelchair and she has to smoke outside. Last week I had to stand outside with her with an umbrella over her while it rained. We know it's not politically correct any more, but she is old and she will die of hypothermia rather than smoking at this rate."
Mrs Gornall said: "I'm sick and tired of going out there in the cold. I'm fed up with the whole situation. What else have I got to look forward to? I've got no other pleasures."
Mrs Mock said the home used to have a small room where smokers could light up. But she said the smoking ban in the building has now been enforced for health and safety reasons.
She said: "For God's sake, what can she do? There aren't any other smokers in the home now. This is all she has left as her bit of independence. It's so pathetic."
She said relatives of other residents at the home have sympathised with Mrs Gornall's plight.
The only real health problem the pensioner has is osteoarthritis in her knees.
Mrs Mock said: "She says they aren't going to stop her having a fag."
Mrs Gornall moved into the home with her husband, Albert, in 1996 but he died within weeks of their arrival. She took up smoking soon after his death.
Gill Lee, group operations manager for Belmont Care, which owns the home, said the non-smoking policy had been in place since before Mrs Gornall went into the nursing home. She said: "We've had a policy for years in Norwood Lodge of no smoking, mainly on health and safety grounds.
"Mrs Gornall, her daughter and her social worker had a meeting with the matron in May 2005 to explain to her the no-smoking policy in the home, and this was confirmed to her in writing."
She said none of the staff smoke inside the building. But she would not comment on whether the company's policy on enforcing the smoking ban had been tightened.
And she said allowing Mrs Gornall just to smoke in her own room would be "even worse".
She said: "To allow smoking in their room would cause even more health and safety issues."
They had a smoking room which was closed. Didn't you read the article?
Trouble is most of them didn't set their own rules. Nanny state government did it for them.
So you would have a problem with the government running roughshod over business owners rights to allow smoking? Good.
I will certainly do that.
I talk to folks from all over the country that have this same problem with apartment living. I'm guessing that this complex was probably built around the early 80's or so, and so I don't know what the regulations were at the time that this building was constructed. I just know that these apartment complexes are put up in lightning speed, and I don't expect that much care is taken to do everything that should be done. Get it done and move on to the next one.
So is yours. Clearly buying and giving smokes to a ninety-three old, wheelchair bound woman is not the zenith of compassion. Yet you would have us believe that wheeling her outside to smoke them is an act of the devil himself.
Yea I read it and to reopen the room or put in special ventilation for one person to smoke in would be doing something special wouldn't it. I suppose you think a business would just close off the "smoking room" never to be used for any other purpose again.
The beauty shop where I get my hair done allows smoking. The owner said she hired a new hairdresser and the next day she, the owner, came in to work and there were no smoking signs posted in HER shop. She said she took them down and fired her newly hired hairdresser.
If it's very old, it may be grandfathered, but you might want to make sure you have an escape route that doesn't require the elevator or stairs if a fire erupts below.
Have you ever been a smoker?
When my Grandfather had a stroke and was moved into a VA hospital, they made him give up smoking by force cold turkey. He was dying and they made him give it up completely right there and then. They wouldn't even let him go outside to smoke. EVERY time I talked to him, all he wanted to talk about was having a smoke. He died within about a month. It ticked me off then, it ticks me off now. I thought it laughable that they wouldn't give a dying man his last wish... Cause it was bad for his health.
No but renters don't own the building or house they live in either but it is still their home.
See post #166
Maam, you are describing most smokers. My husband and I refuse to smoke in places where there are kids, however most people bring their kids into areas that are blue with smoke and then complain about the smoke even though their are nonsmoking areas for them.
GOOD for her! They have NERVE don't they?
Those weren't the rules when she moved in.
ok, I read that post after I posted.
They sure do.
That's all well and good, but I smoked a lot longer then what my daughter has been here! (She smokes too, btw).
Doesn't seem you are doing too bad then. Good for YOU!
Hello!!!! It's the old lady's HOME!!! What part of HOME do you not understand?????????
Plus, they HAVE a smoking room! She can smoke in there and not SPREAD carbon monoxide and TAR????? hahahah
You sure are a heartless person for a CONSERVATIVE!
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