Waterview Nursing Home in Queens, New York has been fined $30,582.50 stemming from findings of a September 25, 2008 inspection conducted by state and federal surveyors. The survey findings indicate that the facility failed to supervise resident smokers. The facility also failed to reevaluate the resident smokers in order to determine whether they had the ability to smoke in a safe manner.
The facility was cited for violating 42 CFR §483.25(h), which requires nursing home facilities to ensure that the resident environment remains as free of accident hazards as is possible; and each resident receives adequate supervision and assistance devices to prevent accidents.
The surveyors found that 20 of the 21 residents sampled were not properly supervised by nursing home staff. Many residents had burn holes in their clothing and additional residents were witnessed dropping ashes on the floor near paper products. As a result, the facility was cited for providing substandard care and placing the residents (not to mention other building occupants) in immediate danger.