Earlier this week, National No Smoking Day took place on Wednesday 12 March. The awareness day takes place every year on the second Wednesday of March. It is intended to support people who want to give up cigarettes, tobacco, e-cigarettes etc. At this time of year, you can find a huge amount of advice, top tips and facts aimed at helping people make a more informed decision about when and how to quit.
What does smoking do to the body?
Smoking can cause serous damage to the body, especially the heart, lungs and circulatory system. There are several harmful chemicals in cigarettes, including carbon monoxide, nicotine and tar. Some of these can cause fatty material to stick to the walls of the arteries, constricting blood flow. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Smoking can also increase the risk of blood clots and various types of cancers, including lung cancer. The carbon monoxide in cigarettes stops your body from carrying oxygen around it effectively, while nicotine can increase the risk of vascular dementia and kidney failure.
Smokers are more likely to experience high blood pressure and a compromised immune system. The latter means that you become more susceptible to colds and infections and have less energy in general. Smoking can give you bad breath and yellow-brown teeth (from the tar), as well as affecting your sense of taste and smell.
Any and all of these things can lead to a lower quality of life and can cause serious health risks to older people and others living in residential care. Even second-hand smoke from another person having a cigarette can be harmful to those around them and can raise the risk of lung cancer by 30% (source: British Heart Foundation) and exacerbate respiratory issues such as asthma.
How to support someone in residential care to stop smoking
Stopping smoking at any age will bring benefits to the person’s health and wellbeing, not to mention improve the environment for those around them. Quitting cigarettes is not easy for many people, due to their addictive nature. Sometimes, it can take multiple attempts to give up cigarettes or tobacco for good. Encourage your residents to keep trying – don’t let them be put off by a single unsuccessful attempt. Cravings can be strong, plus smoking can quickly become a habit that is hard to break.
You can help your residents work towards giving up smoking by following a few simple top tips. Encourage them to think positively and take a proactive attitude to the project. Talk through the health benefits to themselves and their loved ones. Work out together how much money a regular smoking habit could cost – and what the person could spend the money they save by no longer having to buy cigarettes. Make small changes at first. It is far harder to go ‘cold turkey’ and a sudden, drastic change in habits can be harder to stick to in the longer term than following smaller, more manageable steps.
Set a date when the person is going to quit and let their friends, family and carer team know. That way, they can enjoy the support of their wider network, who will know not to offer cigarettes, but give words of encouragement instead. Add the date to the person’s records on Care Vision so that the whole team knows what they are trying to do. This change of habit might impact on short- and long-term health, so any changes in symptoms or medical conditions should be carefully noted.
Other top tips to help care residents stop smoking
Aim to change established routines that involve smoking. For example, if the person normally smokes after a meal, get them to go for a short walk straight away, or help with the washing up to take their mind off the craving. Serve foods that can make cigarettes taste less pleasant, such as cheese, fruit and vegetables. Encourage the person to brush their teeth instead of smoking, so that they enjoy the sensation of a freshly cleaned mouth and will be less inclined to start a cigarette.
When a craving comes on, think of ways to keep the person busy so they don’t have time to indulge it – cravings tend to only last five minutes or so. Play with a straw to keep the hands busy. You could invite the person to carry a photo of their loved ones, or a similarly motivating image to help them remember why they are working on giving up smoking.