February is American Heart Month and during February seniors and their families should be learning more about heart disease and how they can prevent it. Seniors who make healthy lifestyle choices can significantly lower their chances of developing heart disease. And it’s never too late to start making healthier choices. Small consistent healthy choices will create radical changes in a senior’s health, especially their heart health.

There are a lot of different ways that seniors can choose to live healthier but the most important choice seniors can make when it comes to heart health is to quit smoking. Often seniors who smoke have been smoking for a long time, maybe even decades. Some of them think that the damage is already done so there’s no point in quitting. But that’s not the case. The lungs can start to repair the damage from smoking within weeks of not smoking. And a full year of not smoking can transform a senior’s life, even if they have smoked for a long time.
If your senior loved one wants to quit smoking there are something they can do to make it easier and to stick with quitting like:

Don’t Go Cold Turkey

Quitting cold turkey is a common mistake that almost always backfires. Instead of just quitting suddenly seniors should taper off their smoking. Start by smoking one less cigarette per day. Then two. And then three. Over time seniors can ramp down their need for nicotine and that will help them quit smoking totally. And it will lessen the craving to smoke if they don’t feel restricted or like they can’t smoke at all. There’s far less chance that your senior loved one will go back to smoking if they stop gradually.

Talk To A Doctor About Medication

Medications can be very effective at helping seniors quit smoking, but it’s important for seniors to talk with their doctor about taking medication. The doctor needs to prescribe medication that won’t cause bad reactions with any other medications that your senior loved one might be taking. Make an appointment for your senior loved one today.

Get Support Senior Home Care

The hardest part of quitting smoking is the craving for a cigarette at certain times of the day. Senior home care can help your senior parent manage those cravings throughout the day. Senior home care can also keep your senior loved one busy and hold them accountable so that they don’t slip back into the habit of smoking after meals or at set times of the day.

Take It One Choice At A Time

Seniors who want to quit smoking should remember that they always have a choice. Every time a craving hits they can choose to do the healthy thing or they can choose to smoke. By remembering that they have power over cigarettes and they are the ones who choose they can be empowered to choose health and choose not to smoke. And each time they choose not to smoke they are breaking the addiction to cigarettes.

If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Senior Home Care in St. Petersburg, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.