Supporting smoking cessation in older patients: a continuing challenge for community nurses

Tobacco smoking continues to pose negative health consequences for smokers and their families, and is the single greatest cause of health inequalities in the UK. Older people are particularly vulnerable to the negative health impacts of smoking and therefore, supporting older smokers to quit remains an important public health goal. Community nurses are required to help patients to lead healthier lifestyles and have ideal opportunities to encourage smoking cessation in older people who are affected by smoking-related health conditions, or whose existing conditions may be exacerbated by continued smoking. This paper discusses how community nurses can support their older patients to quit smoking by fostering a patient-centred partnership through good communication and empathy. The newly developed ‘Very Brief Advice on Smoking’ (VBA) interventions can provide a useful tool for community nurses who experience time constraints to advise older people that psychosocial support with treatment is the most effective method of smoking cessation, while respecting the health decisions of patients.