No one smokes because they think it’s healthy. Seniors who smoke know it’s not healthy. They know the risks of smoking. But for many seniors smoking is a habit they’ve had for decades. Quitting can be excruciating for them. And many seniors think that the damage from smoking has already been done so they might as well keep smoking. Or at least, that’s how they try to justify it.
But quitting smoking right now really can have a huge impact on your senior parent’s health. The lungs will start to repair themselves within months after a senior stops smoking. And seniors will experience many other benefits from quitting almost immediately. Now is the time to help your senior parent quit smoking. Use these tips and share them with your senior parent to help them break their addiction to cigarettes:
Set a Quit Date
It’s easier to quit if seniors pick a date as their quit date so they can mentally prepare for quitting. Senior home care can help ensure that your senior parent keeps their word to quit on that date. And senior home care can also help seniors avoid giving in and having a cigarette.
Seek Support
Encourage your senior parent to share their decision to quit with friends, family, and healthcare professionals. Having a support system can provide emotional support, understanding, and encouragement throughout the quitting process. Let your senior parent know they can call you if they need some words of support or encouragement.
Talk To A Doctor About Medication
Nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches, gum, lozenges, or inhalers, can help manage withdrawal symptoms. And prescription medications may help lessen the cravings to smoke. Your senior parent should discuss the options with a healthcare professional to see if medication can help your senior parent quit safely.
Identify Triggers
Help your senior parent understand the situations, emotions, or activities that trigger the urge to smoke. Once identified, work on finding alternative coping mechanisms or distractions to overcome these triggers.
Get Moving
Exercise can be a valuable ally in the quit-smoking journey. It not only distracts from cravings but also promotes overall well-being. Encourage your senior parent to join a pickleball league, go for a walk instead of having a cigarette, or channel their energy into more activity instead of smoking.
Learn New Relaxation Techniques
Smoking is often linked to stress relief for individuals. Introduce relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation to help manage stress without resorting to smoking.
Celebrate Milestones
Celebrate small victories along the way. Whether it’s a day, a week, or a month without smoking, acknowledge and reward these achievements. Positive reinforcement can be a powerful motivator. Surprise your senior parent with banners, cards, and small gifts to encourage them to keep hitting milestones.
Join a Support Group
Support groups can be a great way for seniors to connect with others who are going through the same struggle, and with seniors who have successfully quit. Online support groups are available for seniors who have a hard time getting out of the house. Or, you can look for a local support group at the senior center that your senior parent could go to.
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior home care in Dover, MA, please contact the caring staff at PlatinumCare + today. Call (617) 237-0867.
PlatinumCare + was born out of the desire and passion to provide the very best home health care possible in Brookline, Dover, Newton, Needham, Watertown, Weston, Cambridge, Lincoln, Sudbury, Belmont, Boston MA, and surrounding areas.
All with decades of experience, Tim in IT Operations, Support, and Management, Brenda in Client Relations, Healthcare Services & Sales Management, and Anne in Healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner combined their skills to form what is now PlatinumCare +.
As immigrants to the US, all came from backgrounds where Healthcare for aging parents was a responsibility of the immediate family and the entire community. Aging, sick, or terminal community members were cared for physically, emotionally, and financially by family, friends, including strangers! This community approach, Healthcare with a difference, delivered with the utmost love, care, sacrifice, and passion, forms the basis of how PlatinumCare + grounds itself.
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