LEARNING POINTS
• Attempts to address smoking behaviour should be based on people's needs,
not their age;
• Health education for older people who smoke needs to be specifically
tailored to their needs;
• Increasing the self-efficacy of older people can empower them to change
their smoking behaviour and improve their health;
• Community nurses are ethically justified in tackling smoking behaviour in
older people;
• The health of older smokers who do not wish to quit, and their families,
could potentially be improved by adopting harm reduction strategies and
aiming for a smoke-free home.