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."
I've never knowingly heard a 'Nazareth' song... Maybe a lot of your assumptions about me are false.
You must be very young, it's the only explanation for your utter cluelessness.
If you're not very young, pretend that you are and save yourself from public embarrassment.
Pretend that you're a victim of the "self-esteem" theory popular in modern-day public school indoctrination camps, resulting in what we see before us.
I'm offering you an out, take it.
That's me awright. LOL About as romantic as a dead cat.
SHOW US THE POSTS YOU CLAIM WE MADE
Foolkiller, I've been on many threads with SheLion, and if she's not saying it's not all that bad for you, such as in post 27 (Gee, it's healthier than having AIDS- woo hoo!), then she's saying it's not even addictive, it's just merely an enjoyable hobby, as in 45.
So stop shouting at me. Calm down... maybe go outside and have a smoke... I am.
I'm not yelling at you. When the Lioness said there's no harm, I think she meant when we CHOOSE to do something, we just make a choice. There is no harm in making a choice.(We know the risks)
"I understand the life expectancy of an Aids victim is 42 years. A smoker can live from 62 years on up to over a hundred"
I don't see where she said it's good for you. It's a statement. My grand-father worked in the coal mines for 42 years. He smoked. He died in 1999. He was 89. To where, some aids victims can die in 7-10 years, or so. Some may never die, though. I didn' see it as a health advocation.
Just my opinion. Smokers need not fight amongt ourselves.We have plenty of people waiting in line to give us the screws. We need to stand to advocate all freedom.
amongt=amongst
I didn't mean that you were shouting at me, 383rr.... my post was directed at another in my 'to' line :~D
I'm all for the 'right' to smoke, and for the right of any business to decide if they want to allow smoking on their property or not. Curiously though, that right to make the rules on your property is arguably the right this nursing home is exercising, is it not?
"Curiously though, that right to make the rules on your property is arguably the right this nursing home is exercising, is it not?"
That is a good question. So here is my opinion....
People do not stay in these places for free. It costs a lot of money(I know you know this). I look at it as rent.( I know some land-lords prohibit smoking) When my grandfather went in with alzheimers( I stayed with them for as long as I could to help with him), they had to sell everything they owned. He did not get a "free" ride. So, at the cost some of these folks pay, they should have a little pleasure, if they so choose. It wouldn't be a big deal to have an area for them. They are in their last few years,months, or days, usually.
"that right to make the rules on your property is arguably the right this nursing home is exercising, is it not?"
But that is a valid point, I will admit. It is definetly a tough one to answer.
Gee, it's healthier than having AIDS
I've never knowingly heard a 'Nazareth' song...
" THAT COMMENT he found equivalent to saying smoking is healthy for you???? "
I could not see that, either. I called what I took out of it. I see no health advocacy in any of these statements.
I think some tobacco users get taken in by the guilt trip scam, almost believing that they ARE second-class citizens. The propaganda is so thick, you can't help being exposed to it. It doesn't work on me. A lie is a lie, and attacking this is attacking my right to choose, and I won't have it.
My grandmother died at ninety-one, the picture of health. The doctor didn't KNOW why she died, other than to say she was old. His GUESS was that she had had a series of mini-strokes that when compounded lead to her death. Nothing nefarious there. A good portion of the time doctors DO guess about the cause of death. They truly are not all-knowing.
Three points: First, if you are going to speak ~about~ me, it's good etiquette to ~ping~ me. I pinged you when appropriate because I was speaking to you or about you, not just because I like you.
Second: I ~realize~ it's true, but rather weak, to say "Hey, smoking is healthier than having AIDS." THAT WAS MY POINT!
Third: You have called me an A$$HOLE, thinking you could get away with just sneaking in prohibited language in dollar signs like you weren't really cussing, but now, on the same thread you've cussed again. In case you hadn't noticed, that kind of language isn't used on this forum.
Bonus fourth point: I'm not a he.
In case you haven't noticed, when you strip away the name calling and cursing, you haven't actually added anything productive to the debate.
You'll never get an an answer.
When we say that smoking is not as bad for us as the propaganda says that it is, the antis try to interpret it as if we were saying that smoking is good for us.
My asthma left AFTER I started smoking. That's a fact.
I certainly wouldn't suggest that someone smoke to cure their asthma. It just happened to me so I mentioned it.
how did you know it was a song? 8^D
I've heard of them, I'm just not a fan (sorry to take away from your 'gotcha' moment) Besides... who else but a band would call themselves "Nazareth" that would have fans... a sports team?
My asthma left AFTER I started smoking. That's a fact.
Neither have you. Ta ta. I'm outa here. Hope I don't read your crap anytime soon, dearie.
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