Does your elderly loved-one smoke cigarettes? If so, you can assume they know it is bad for them. However, they may have been smoking for so long, it would be difficult for them to quit.

Regardless, it may be beneficial to talk to your elderly loved one about the benefits that would occur if they were to quit smoking. If you think it would be better coming from a non-family member, you can see if their caregivers will talk to them about these benefits.

Short-Term Benefits

Once someone stops smoking, within less than 30 minutes they can start reaping some of the benefits. Some of the short-term benefits that your elderly loved one should know about if they quit smoking include the following:

• 20 minutes – The heart rate and blood pressure go to normal levels due to breathing fresh air.
• 12 hours – The carbon monoxide levels in the blood will lower which reduces the risk of getting cardiovascular disease.
• 24 hours – The risk of a heart attack will start decreasing.
• 2nd day – The sense of taste and smell will start going back to normal.
• Between 1 to 9 months – Regain control over breath and stop coughing as much.

These are some of the many short-term benefits that your elderly loved one can reap if they quit smoking. However, there are some long-term benefits they should know about, as well.

Long-Term Benefits

Now that you know more about the short-term benefits for if your loved one quits smoking, you should learn about some of the long-term benefits. These include the following:

• 1 year – Greatly reduce the risk of a heart attack to half of what it was before quitting smoking.
• 5 to 15 years – The chance of having a stroke due to carbon monoxide levels in the blood is the same as someone who never smoked. Additionally, the chances of getting esophagus, throat, or mouth cancer will be the same as someone who never smoked. The risk of passing away due to lung, pancreatic, and larynx cancer is lowered by 50%
• 15 years – The chance of getting coronary heart disease that causes death is the same as someone who didn’t smoke. In addition, all major body functions will be completely restored.

These are the major long-term health benefits for those who quit smoking.

With all this being said, it is likely that your elderly loved one will have some cravings and withdrawal symptoms. However, if you and their caregivers support them through this process, that can help them a great deal.

If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Care in San Francisco, CA, call the caring staff at Aviva In-Home Care.
Call today: (415) 795-2203

Sources
Cdc.gov

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Evan Loevner

CEO at Aviva In-Home Care

As a former hospital administrator, I launched Aviva with the goal of having a more focused, direct impact on the delivery of care than I could ever accomplish within a hospital setting. For me, the joy of running an organization like Aviva In-Home Care is having the ability to positively improve the lives of individuals needing customized care. As a passionate Bay Area resident, I know that many local seniors can benefit from new approaches to in-home care, that will bring them more connection to the community, and provide families with a greater sense of comfort that their loved one is indeed matched with an ideal caregiver.

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