Smoking cessation: promoting the health of older people who smoke

Community nurses are well placed to address smoking behaviour with older people. Smoking cessation can significantly improve the health and wellbeing of older people, and to withhold support for smoking cessation is a form of age discrimination. This paper provides advice to community nurses about how to approach discussions about smoking behaviour with older clients as part of their health education practice. It addresses some of the ethical concerns that have been raised by community nurses, explains how smoking in older people may be reduced using a harm reduction approach and through working with the concept of the smoke-free home.