Southern Specialty Rehab: Smoking Safety Failures - TX
LVN C observed the resident asleep with cigarettes "two or three times" in the facility's smoking room during unscheduled checks in August. The nurse told federal inspectors on August 23 that some of the resident's clothes showed burn marks that weren't there when she moved into the facility.
"I did not believe her clothes had burn marks on them when she moved in," LVN C said during the inspection interview.
The resident smoked every 30 minutes and "wanted to smoke as soon as she woke up," according to the nurse. He said he didn't believe she was fully awake during some smoking sessions, but staff couldn't intervene because "she would holler and curse people out."
The smoking continued around the clock. The resident called a family member at 4:00 AM one night to bring cigarettes because she had run out, LVN C told inspectors.
After observing the dangerous behavior, LVN C completed a smoking assessment and forwarded it to the Assistant Director of Nursing. But the facility's care plan was never updated to reflect the new safety requirements.
The administrator acknowledged during interviews that there was "a resident that should be wearing an apron and should be supervised" while smoking, but said he wasn't aware this wasn't happening. Federal inspectors found the facility had immediate jeopardy violations affecting some residents.
"Regardless of the age of documentation it should be followed until otherwise updated," the administrator told inspectors. He said care plans should have been updated with the smoking assessment results "so everyone could know what was going on with residents because that was what staff referred to when they provided care."
The communication breakdown extended throughout the facility's chain of command. LVN C said he told his aides about the required changes and "verbally passed it on to the nurse on the next shift." But the aides he initially informed no longer worked at the facility, and he had only told the new aide the night before the inspection.
The resident became hostile when confronted about the safety issues. She "got mad and denied falling asleep" when LVN C discussed his observations, according to the nurse. She also accused him of stealing her cigarettes.
LVN C said he didn't know what the Assistant Director of Nursing was supposed to do with the smoking assessment after he submitted it. The facility's system for communicating care plan changes relied on morning meetings, according to the administrator, but the smoking safety protocols were never implemented.
The Director of Nursing and Assistant Directors of Nursing were responsible for training staff on updated care requirements, the administrator said. But months after the smoking assessment identified serious safety risks, the required supervision and protective equipment weren't in place.
The inspection narrative cuts off mid-sentence while describing communications between nursing staff and the social worker about the resident's smoking restrictions, leaving unclear exactly how long the dangerous situation continued without proper intervention.
Federal inspectors classified the violations as immediate jeopardy to resident health and safety. The facility's failure to implement basic fire safety measures for a resident who repeatedly fell asleep with lit cigarettes represented one of the most serious categories of nursing home violations.
The resident's round-the-clock smoking habit and aggressive responses to staff intervention created ongoing fire risks that the facility documented but failed to address through its care planning process. Staff observed clear evidence of the danger through burn marks on clothing, yet the required safety protocols remained unimplemented.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Southern Specialty Rehab & Nursing from 2025-08-24 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
Additional Resources
Data source: Official federal inspection data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Editorial process: AI-synthesized regulatory data, reviewed for accuracy by our editorial team.
Professional review: All content reviewed by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr., NH EMT & BU-trained Paralegal.
Last verified: June 20, 2026 · Our methodology
Southern Specialty Rehab & Nursing in Lubbock, TX was cited for violations during a health inspection on August 24, 2025.
LVN C observed the resident asleep with cigarettes "two or three times" in the facility's smoking room during unscheduled checks in August.
Health inspections identify deficiencies that facilities must correct. Violations range from minor documentation issues to serious safety concerns. Review the full report below for specific details and facility response.