Helping the elderly quit smoking is one of the most important responsibilities of the healthcare professional. The number of cessation programs designed for the elderly are severely limited, therefore the venues by which they actively quit smoking are not nearly as prevalent as other age segments. Most health care professionals have not received significant training in smoking cessation counseling in general, even though it is one of the most prevalent causes of health problems within America.
In the absence of having a strong primary care physician or a group therapy session to promote smoking cessation, alternatives include the use of cessation literature. Many channels of education have been attempted with some success in the elderly. In one recent test conducted by Rimer and Orleans using smoking cessation brochures, the results were extremely promising. In the study, three groups were established with the control group receiving cessation literature not specifically designed for the elderly, and the other two receiving senior focused brochure and one or two follow-up phone counseling. The senior-focused brochures showed an almost 20% quitting rate as compared to 15% with non-focused literature. This study shows that the use of cessation literature may be a very easy and low-cost method to decrease smoking among the elderly. Other methods to encourage smoking cessation among the elderly is to reliance on family networks. The strongest indirect method for smoking cessation is to distribute literature to the children of elderly smokers and rely on the family network to persuade the elderly towards smoking cessation. This strategy has been particularly effective within southern rural areas where the access of other methods for smoking cessation are not available. Family networks are extremely reliable and as a result, they are very strong motivators for the elderly to quit smoking.
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Rimer, B.K. And Orleans, C.T. (1994). Tailoring smoking cessation for older adults. Cancer, 74(7 Suppl):2051-4.
Smoking Cessation Smoking is a central factor in many pathological conditions. Nearly all smokers have at least some idea of the risks associated with the practice yet chose to smoke anyway. The adverse effects of tobacco use on cardiopulmonary function are well established and recognized; less evident, but equally important, is its impact on all aspects of physical therapist practice, including integumentary, musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular health (Pignataro, Ohtake, & Dino, 2012).
Smoking Cessation Studies of six diverse communities in Chicago, poor women under welfare reform and Medicaid recipients as well as a focus group of seniors concerning smoking cessation showed that 1) populations do vary in their smoking behavior and ability to stop smoking and 2) programs must be developed to target specific demographics. Although prior studies showed that poorer individuals have worse health, comparatively less research has been conducted specifically on a
Smoking Cessation -- Outline Addictive Behavior Smoking vs. illegal drugs Desire to return to smoking The business of smoking cessation Dangers and the Surgeon General's warning Smoking Cessation Programs Pills Patches Nicotine Gum "Cold Turkey' Hypnosis Support Groups Smoking Education Tobacco Companies Parents Smoking Cessation Smoking cigarettes has been found to be even more addictive than using many illegal drugs. Because of this, those that choose to quit smoking often struggle with it, and many of them return to smoking, even after quitting for a long period
Smoking Cessation Interventions Psychosocial and Pharmacological Interventions on Smoking Of the many causes of death in the world, coronary heart disease (CHD) remains one of the top global killers with an estimated 7.2 million people dying each year (Howell, 2011). The United States comprises a great majority of this mortality rate, which is approximately 450, 000 deaths in the United States alone (Capewell, et.al, 2010). Fortunately, since the 1970s CHD mortality rates
Smoking Cessation Health Belief Model According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2012) smoking harms nearly every organ of the body. It is estimated that there are more than 43 million adults who currently smoke in the United States. Of these 53% are men and 47% are women. Tobacco use is responsible for causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general. The adverse effects of smoking
The competition is tough all the way around, and companies are tight financially in making ends meet for all employees that are trying to help others survive around the globe (Peto, Darby, Deo, Silcocks, Whitley, & Doll, 2000). Public health priorities are an issue that could arise at any given time in trying to get adults to stop smoking. For example, if an emergency occurs with someone who has received
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