December is TANYRSS Month, also known as “Take a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Smoking.” This is an important time every year, because it’s an opportunity to talk again with the senior smokers in your life and help them to find a way to finally kick smoking to the curb for good. Having a plan is the first step, and it might be a lot easier than either you or your senior expect it to be, especially with the right help.
Why Is it So Important for Your Senior to Quit Smoking?
Most people already understand how many health risks are associated with smoking, but they may not realize the extent of the impact smoking truly has. For your elderly family member, her risk factors for cancer, stroke, heart attacks, and lung diseases increase substantially if she’s a smoker. But she can also have other health impacts, such as reduced blood circulation, increased high blood pressure, and mild respiratory problems. That’s on top of osteoporosis, eye diseases, diabetes, and nerve damage.
A Plan Makes Success More Likely
It’s just not as easy as understanding why smoking is bad to give it up. Nicotine is an addictive drug, which means that there are physical and psychological impacts from trying to quit. Some of these withdrawal symptoms are so uncomfortable that people give up on quitting smoking, even if they want to very badly. Having a plan for quitting that covers as many aspects as possible of how smoking affects your senior’s life is vital for success.
Different Therapies Are More Effective for Different People
Plenty of former smokers have had a lot of success with going cold turkey, or simply quitting smoking suddenly one day. That’s not the case for many different smokers, however. Starting with your senior’s doctor can ensure that medical issues are managed. But there are other answers that can help, too, including home health care and mental health services that come to your senior.
Counseling at Home Removes a Lot of Nervous Fear
There are a lot of nerves associated with quitting smoking. By having counseling at home, your elderly family member has more of the tools that she needs in order to quit smoking for good. Going through different therapies at home in a comfortable space gives your senior a chance to practice and to develop new habits without the pressure of being around other people in possibly tempting environments. Breaking the hold that nicotine has on your elderly family member takes a lot of work but is definitely possible with the right tools.
She Can See Results Really Quickly
The biggest encouragement for your elderly family member to quit smoking is possibly the fact that she can see big results very quickly. Even a long-term smoker will notice things like blood pressure dropping, lung function improving, and even improved senses of taste and smell after quitting. Depending on her other health risks, those can improve dramatically, too.
Focusing on all of the ways that smoking affects your senior’s mental and physical health gives her a better chance at being able to finally quit for good.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Home Health Care in Dallas, TX please contact the caring staff at Arcy Healthcare today. 469-293-1515
My name is Jimmie Stapleton. I am the founder and CEO of Arcy Healthcare. Arcy Healthcare includes Arcy Hospice, Arcy Supportive Care, MaximaCare Home Health and Arcy at Home.
Arcy Hospice was opened in 2007 to provide care and support for individuals and families facing a life limiting illness. It was established after my wife Ellen, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had completed her chemo and radiation therapies. At that time, things were looking positive, and we wanted to do something for our community that had been so supportive of our family during her treatments. Unfortunately, the cancer returned a few years later, and she subsequently passed away under our care in 2010.
In the years that followed, I began to see the need to provide the same level of excellent care to patients across the continuum of care. Therefore, we have added a home health division (MaximaCare Home Health), a palliative care division (Arcy Supportive Care), and a home care division, (Arcy at Home). With the addition of these divisions, we can meet most of the post-acute care needs for you and your family in your home.
I started Arcy Hospice with my wife as my motivation to provide exceptional care and support in the patient’s home, where they are surrounded by family and where they feel most comfortable. I’m proud to say that our staff provides some of the best in home care in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Please let us know if we can enrich the quality of life for you or a loved one.
Sincerely,
Jimmie Stapleton – Founder and CEO
Arcy Healthcare
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