Posted on 05/05/2006 3:45:22 AM PDT by SheLion
Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne found them dodging traffic in wheelchairs and walkers. Folks are starting to get used to seeing "no-smoking" signs at bars, restaurants and public buildings. But, what happens when a nursing home bans smoking without making any accommodations for residents?
Crossing the street in front of the Bremerton Health and Rehabilitation Center is not for the faint of heart, but that's exactly where we found the faint of heart traveling.
No matter their disability, if residents like Donald Pike want to smoke, the center told them they have to leave the property.
Chris: "I don't see a crosswalk."
Donald: "There is no crosswalk."
Chris: "I don't see a real smooth curb."
Donald: "No. No. Smooth curb. No. Nothing saying stop when somebody’s crossing the road."
We videotaped disabled residents limping, shuffling, even creeping their wheelchairs into the road with no staff around to help. One man nearly fell. Another disabled smoker couldn't do anything but watch.
“It's scary and especially if it rains, if we have a little snow, somebody could slip and fall and hurt themselves just to have a cigarette,” said one resident who was in a wheelchair.
“Bob” is a physical therapist for clients at the Bremerton Health and Rehabilitation Center. He risked his job to share with us his displeasure with the new no-smoking rules imposed on clients.
“I didn't believe it at first. I thought they were joking, but it was true. You're asking people who are already at risk for a fall, whose mobility is impaired, to go through the obstacle of walking hundreds of feet on unleveled terrain, over a curb, then across a real business street?”
We obtained an internal memo that states residents can no longer smoke on nursing home property. But why not?
Washington's law allows smoking in places like this as long as the cigarettes and ashes stay outside 25 feet from the door. The uncovered, designated cement smoking seat is a treacherous one block walk from the center's front door.
Resident David Olguin says that’s too far and too treacherous a journey for most.
“They go pretty slow on that hill. The cars go pretty fast. One of them is going to get run over,” Olguin said.
Administrators here were camera shy, but told us disabled residents didn't have to cross the street; it was just a suggestion. They admit, however, they want residents to quit smoking and won't permit the bad habit on nursing home property any longer.
Our videotape proves that owners of the nursing home don't have any trouble asking residents, already in frail health, to stand in the rain and cold weather to light up.
Pike complains that the new smoking ban has gone too far saying, “This is my home, ya know. Why do we have to go across the road to smoke? This is my home!”
Just to check on any other potential "quality of care" issues here, KIRO Team 7 Investigators pulled the Bremerton Health and Rehabilitation Center's February health inspection report. It's 58 pages filled with 14 separate code violations, many of them dealing with staff being inattentive to residents’ safety and welfare. Inspectors tell us if they'd have seen what we saw, they'd have tacked on a few more violations.
The week following our last visit, the center faxed us this statement. Although defending its right to ban smoking, the agency adds. "Based on recent concerns, we are looking into the creation of a smoking area with seating on the edge of our property to better accommodate residents."
Several lawmakers in Olympia tell KIRO Team 7 Investigators they believe the smoking ban should not apply to assisted living centers. House Bill 3130 reflects that, but the legislation is currently "on-hold."
Yep. I saw that and let it go. I had an answer for him, but thought "what's the use."
Heh... well, sounds like smoking off property is a pretty good motivation to get some exercise.
But I don't believe in treating old folks like children. Those clients are paying customers. They should demand a place outside to smoke, and if the mgmt won't allow that, they should leave.
I always hear people say that and I know it's hyperbole, but I always think, hey that'd be really funny to see someone actually cough a lung up.
Like, "Mmmmmmm, a hot meal!"
What only took until post 19? For someone to acknowledge the fact that smokers end up sounding like we are going to hack up a lung if we do it long enough? That smokers suffer from chronic bronchitis and emphysema?
I smoke [dammit] and I live in WA state, AND I'm ticked off that bars and restaurants here have lost the right to allow smoking if they want. BUT the silliest thing about these 'smokers rights' threads is the hyper denial that smoking is at all bad for you! Good grief. Lies and exaggerations on the other side are bad enough. Lets not paint smoking as the secret for healthy living. It falls within the catagory of discretionary luxuries people like to do that aren't necessarily good for them. No more, no less.
oops - meant to ping you to my above...
You ol' romantic you...
:O)
You're talkin' to the wrong guy if you think I ever said anything like that.
Actually I pinged you because someone else did relating to that comment... I actually thought you were the one that made the original post.
Stop being your usual a$$hole self for a moment, and hear what I'm about to say. And listen very well. Everyone knows with freedom, there are risks. This thread is not about health. No one here has ever said smoking is 'good' for you. But then, you'll twist everything to suit your needs. It doesn't matter if the threads are about property rights, freedom of choice, outrageous taxation, discrimination, the exemption of casinos run by the government, whatever. People like you ALWAYS....ALWAYS...ALWAYS...try to hijack the threads and turn it into a health issue. I hereby challenge you to show us ONE post in any smoking thread where someone said smoking was 'good' for the people who actually do it. Go on. Show us. We're waiting.
And that's the truth. It's your choice if you want to cook your lungs from the inside out.
I almost see humor in the fact that these eldery people actually gimp across a busy road just so they can smoke a cigarette. Is it really that important that you're willing to injure yourself just to get one drag?
The risk of injury is probably exaggerated for dramatic effect, but yes, smokers who want one would cross a canal full of alligators for a smoke :~D
I'm gonna guess you didn't learn this debate strategy in "How to win friends and influence people"....
Well, there is no reason why that nursing home can't continue to have a lounge or day room for these people to smoke in. Why on earth are they kicked outside to begin with!
You're talkin' to the wrong guy if you think I ever said anything like that.
Me, too. I always said that people knew since the 50's that smoking wasn't good for us. And I never ever said that I promoted smoking for healthy living. Geesh!
I bet it's been a very long time since anyone's been allowed to smoke indoors at a nursing home. I've volunteered doing pet visits at a LOT of them and have never seen smoking inside at any of them.
If you want to know the functional "why" relating to this article it's because the new WA state law does not allow any smoking inside any workplace. Smoking would be banned under the law because people work there. The policy of this nursing home moving them off property goes ~way~ beyond that.
If you want to talk about unfair and ridiculous, people in Hospice and Home Care are now not allowed to smoke at home under the law because of visiting nursing and care staff. The truth is, many of those staff smoke themselves, or at least, a high enough percentage that staff who would not mind the patient smoking could easily be found.
Glad to hear you say so... You'll understand if my read on your posts has left me with a different impression.
Stop changing the subject and show us those posts.
And I don't want to be your friend, Nazareth fan. Now show us those posts you claimed existed. We're waiting.
One of my favorite threads to read...hilarious...
I'm not under your command, Foolkiller, and I am not usually cooperative to people I don't even know who call me an A$$HOLE. I asked you questions in my post that you haven't answered, and I'm not holding my breath for your answer.
Deal with it.
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