Shared Decision-Making on Tobacco Smoking by Older Adults Living in Residential Care Facilities: Care Professionals’ Perspectives

Residents' wish to smoke tobacco is a complex matter within RCFs. Care professionals' attitudes cause inconsistencies in their behavior and the degree of SDM. Moreover, care professionals tend to use SDM more often when they need to limit residents' use and cannot fulfill residents' unhealthy habits, such as smoking tobacco. SDM could support care professionals to deal with dilemmas regarding residents' tobacco use by including residents in decisions, regardless of the outcome. However, multiple factors affect care professionals' behavior and the degree of SDM. Especially, their attitudes need to be addressed. SDM is further complicated by national acts and organizational policies.