Fire death in nursing home results in fine by state

A nursing home in California ws fined by the state after a resident of the nursing home set himself on fire by accident.  The wheelchair bound man was tryng to light a cigarette without supervision when his clothes caught fire.  The nursing staff failed to act promptly to put out the flames, and the man suffered serious burns to 40% of his body and died 18 days later.

Smoking is not good for anyone, but it is especially hazardous for nursing home residents.  One reason for this is that physical disabilities may make handling smoking materials difficult for nursing home residents and increase the chance that they will drop cigarettes or matches on themselves or bedding.  Another reason is that many smokers in nursing homes are also using supplemental oxygen which creates a serious risk of flash fires.

Nursing homes cannot force residents to stop smoking (though they do, and should, encourage quitting).  However, for nursing home residents who do smoke, there must be safety plan in plan to address the risks associated with nursing home residents who do smoke.  Supervision while smoking and employing restricted smoking areas where there are safety devices such as fire extinguishers are two common measures of assuring the safety of nursing home residents who smoke.