I’ve practiced many types of nursing in my career, including home health. One day, I arrived at a patients’ home who had COPD and was oxygen dependent. I sat down to ask my usual questions and right before my very eyes, she had the audacity to take out a pack of Lucky Strikes and light one up.

Now, I don’t particularly enjoy being around cigarettes due to the risks associated with secondhand smoke, but my concerns grow exponentially when a patient lights up in front of me while she is using oxygen!

My first instinct — exit stage left, before the entire house with me in it starts to blow! I asked her rather nicely to put out her cigarette and she replied “why should I, it’s my house, isn’t it?” How right she was, but I told her, if she did NOT put out her cigarette immediately, I was going to leave and not continue the visit. She finally complied and the rest is history, as she never lit up in front of me again. But, how do you cope as a caregiver, when your patient smokes and you are faced with a similar situation?

Before accepting a job as a caregiver, whether hired by a home health agency or privately, ask if the patient smokes. You may want to reconsider the job, particularly if you have allergies, asthma, or other respiratory conditions which may be exacerbated by secondhand smoke. If your patient does smoke, make a contract with him or her in advance so they do not smoke in the house, car, or anywhere near you.

Do not allow your patient to smoke in the presence of oxygen. Oxygen is highly flammable and serious consequence could arise if they do so. If your patient ignores your plea, contact a family member to see if they can speak to the patient on your behalf. If that doesn’t work, you may want to think about getting another job.

Suggest that your patient only smoke outdoors. Stand as far away as possible while he finishes his cigarette. Present your patient with educational materials regarding the dangers of tobacco and secondhand smoke. The American Lung Association provides this information for free to individuals who are in need.

Never allow children to be exposed to secondhand smoke. If there are children in the home, be sure to remove them from the area when your patient is smoking. Secondhand smoke causes many health problems, including placing you at risk for COPD, heart disease and lung cancer.

Encouraging your patient to either quit smoking or to adopt a smoke-free home policy will help you and family members with whom your patient lives to limit exposure. If you still need help encouraging them to quit smoking read BestSitePicks Stop Smoking page for more.