Smoking policies are very important and needed in every assisted living facility. It is apparent that many facilities are not dealing with safety concerns related to smoking and losses adequately. Your policies need to be specific for your facility, not general policies customized for a different assisted living facility. A smoking policy that is not enforced or is not right for your facility can be a serious threat to everyone involved. When creating the policy, think about these questions and many more:

• Does your state have certain smoking restrictions?
• Are there safe locations to smoke in your facility?
• Can residents smoke and carry ignition materials with them?
• Are appropriate receptacles available for use?
• How often are smokers assed?

What other questions would you add to this list? Post them here!