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."
Why not let her live with her. She is perfectly healthy except for some arthritis in her knees. More to the point, WHY is she in a nursing home?
Why the government intervenes and 'gives' you care, you know there will be strings attached.
"I was kind of pleasantly surprised that another relative who has never had a smoker in the family actually found her an ashtray and told her she wasn't about to go outside and smoke when she was a guest at her house."
She's not ambulatory, for God's sake and the daughter is 68 years old!
Who know if the daughter's health is all that good either?
I'm quite sure the smoking room that the Nazis had closed did not have oxygen tanks in it.
1. IMHO the daughter is young! LOL
2. We don't know the daughter's home situation so she may not be able to take her home. It happened to me with my mother so,like you,I wouldn't ctiticise the daughter without having all the facts.
Do keep in mind this is from Bristol, England not Bristol, TN. Fag is a bit different connotation there.
Man, talk about coming into the middle of a conversation and not knowing what we are talking about.....
Same thing happened to my then 86 year old grandma (now 97).
She was told she'd have to go outside for her smokes at the home she was in. She had smoked most of her life and that's what finally made her quit! Of course if you knew how cold those Minnesota winters get, that was a wise choice! Lol!
You go, gramma! :)
It can be very difficult to care for someone who's unable to get around on their own, and it can be dangerous for the mother as well. Being dropped to the floor at the age of 93 is not a good thing.
Have you noticed how the Nazis have been waving their hands around and pointing to "oxygen fires" and implying that the daughter has just "dumped" her mother in a nursing home?
Anything to divert from the ridiculousness of their jihad.
I'm quite aware of what you're talking about.
The anti-smoking "facts" are tossed around in the wind and when you ask for some substantiation of the facts you often get insults but you never get an answer.
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We have 3 smokers in our house.
Why not add a new wing just for her? < /sarcasm >
Why sould they do anything special just to accommodate her smoking habit?
Where I work part time they built a beautiful gazebo outside for smokers. In the winter they put heavy duty see through plastic on it. It is quite warm and everyone is happy.
"Why not let her live with her. She is perfectly healthy except for some arthritis in her knees. More to the point, WHY is she in a nursing home?
Why the government intervenes and 'gives' you care, you know there will be strings attached."
Nothing like a leap in logic to brighten my day.
Where in the article does it say that she is getting free care paid for by the government? Nursing homes are NOT all government care.
The lady has arthritis, probably requiring theropy 3-4 times a day. Younger healthier people you tell them to exercise, walk etc 3-4 times a day. The older need help, so a care facility is required.
Twits on this thread fail to see the injustice of it all, putting up a smoke (pardon the pun) screen of oxygen, government health care, stinky smells and plain old bad attitude.
Listen ignorant one, I NEVER blow smoke in ANYone's face. You sure are one piece of work. You have a terrible attitude problem!
I believe the issue could be the effects on the other old people and how many old people die of pneumonia every year. That was one of the first symptoms that I kept coming down with before they figured out that my rheumatoid arthritis was attacking my lungs. I can smell smoke coming through my car's air conditioner when the person in front of me is smoking at a stop light with their window open. The first time that happened, I was trying to figure out where the smell was coming from and now I just turn it to recirculate at all stop lights.
"I can smell smoke coming through my car's air conditioner" ... you sure have one hellava blood hound nose there. hehe
Listen, I am sorry for your troubles, although I have no proof, just your word. But if life on the outside of your house is so hard on you, maybe you should just enjoy the comforts of your home.
I'm also wondering why no one has mentioned that if the daughter feels so strongly, maybe she should take care of her mother at home.
How about daughters who work and do not have the CARE facilities at home for their "moms?" At least "MOM" has care 24/7 in the nursing home! heh!
Listen, it's horrible when someone develops a terrible disease, but to want to change the world to accomodate them is just wrong. The world does NOT rotate on anyone's butt!
Oh my. LOL
What if the rest are full? Then what?!
Ciggie? This is Britain. They told her to "Take that dirty fag outside."
The daughter could take her to her own house so granny can SMOKE UP!
Really, you drug addicts make it seem like the entire world is against you just so you have an opportunity to complain how repressed you are. In many cases, the FR drug addicts sound a lot like Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan the Jesse Jackson types.
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