Communication, Education and Training Plans

Section Contents: Communication Plan
                           Education Plan
                           Treatment Plan

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Communication Plan

A good communication plan is essential to ease the transition to a smoke-free environment or to modify existing smoke-free policies and practices.

A clear, simple plan will ensure that consistent messages are shared with staff, residents and visitors. 

The plan’s purpose is to inform, build understanding and, in turn, prevent misunderstanding and reduce barriers to change. 

A good communication plan should provide a step-by-step map that outlines the Who, What, How, and When. 

Who: This defines who the target audience is for your message and why the message is relevant to them

What: This is the topic of the message.  The topic should be relevant to the target audience, and messages should be catered to suit the audience’s needs - for example, staff may need more detailed information, while residents and visitors may focus more on key points.

How: This is how (and by whom, if applicable) the message will be delivered. There are many ways to deliver a message. It is helpful to use a variety of delivery modes since people are receptive to different things and have different learning styles. Examples of various delivery modes include both formal and informal communications, such as chats and presentations, as well as newsletters, e-mails, memos, bulletins and posters. 

The mode of delivery should also be tailored to the audience’s particular needs.  Consider the example of print communication: as people get older, their eyesight often changes so that text needs to be written simply, using large, bold, dark print that is in sharp contrast to the background.  Appropriate pictures and lots of white space are also important to attract residents’ attention and encourage them to read a poster or handout.

When: Determine the best time for message delivery in order to reach the largest proportion of your target audience. Consider delivering the message more than once or on a continual basis. When planning when to deliver communications, be aware of previously planned events (such as meetings, tours, workshops, reviews etc) and “busy times” for staff, residents or families. 

Communicating with Staff:

The Handouts section of the Toolkit has samples of the following handouts for staff:

• Fire Risk & Safe Smoking
• Second-Hand Smoke
• NRT Summary Sheet
• NRT Decision Tree
• Tips for Communicating with a Resident
• Safe Smoking Assessment Form
• Resident and Client Smoking Agreement

Communicating with Residents and their Families and Friends:

Informing residents of new rules can help prepare them for the changes that are expected when LTC Homes go smoke-free.  Keeping family members informed is also important, as they can support and encourage their loved ones in adapting to the smoke-free environment.

Communicating with residents and families can be done in a variety of ways:

• Community Care Access Centres can include smoking information as part of their placement process
• Orientation/Tour
• Presentations
• One-on-one discussions
• Resident Council Meetings
• Family Council Meetings
• Posters
• Letters
• Care Plan
• Monthly newsletters
• Informal discussions with staff
• Information on the LTC Home’s website
• Receptionist sharing the information

The Handouts section of the Toolkit has samples of the following fact sheets for residents, families and friends:

• Fire Risk & Safe Smoking
• NRT information sheet
• Why Quit Smoking?
• Second-Hand Smoke Exposure
• Tips for Helping Family and Friends Quit Smoking

Use this Sample Communication Plan to help develop your own.

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Education Plan

An effective education plan is a key part of a good implementation strategy.  It is important to provide staff with the proper training and education to help them manage the transition to a smoke-free environment.

A good education plan is an in-depth approach on how a policy or change will be implemented.  It focuses on sharing detailed information, rather than focusing on highlights as a communication plan tends to do.

Similar to a communication plan, an education plan includes:

• Who the audience is
• What they need to be educated about and why
• How they will be reached
• When the best time to provide the education

Staff Education:
Staff may benefit from the following 3 training topics:

1. Orientation to the smoke-free policy: This training session should review the policy in detail so that employees are fully aware of the rationale and guidelines for the smoke-free policy.

Consider the following sub-topics:
• Smoke-Free Ontario Act
• Implication of the SFOA for LTC homes
• Safe Smoking Assessment
• Second-Hand Smoke
• Resident Smoking and Fire Safety
• Addiction
• Available resources for staff
• The training session should also incorporate a “Question & Answer” section to allow staff to voice their concerns and questions regarding the policy.

The Training and Presentations section of the Toolkit provides sample slide presentations and handouts.

2. Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT): This training session is meant to familiarize staff with NRT.

Consider the following sub-topics:
• Benefits of using NRT
• Benefits of quitting vs. continuing smoking
• Types of NRT
• Nicotine withdrawal symptoms
• Nicotine toxicity symptoms

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy section of the Toolkit provides sample slide presentations and handouts

3. How to deal with residents who are struggling with the new policy: This training session is meant to provide staff with the skills for dealing with residents who are struggling and need additional care or encouragement.

Consider the following sub-topics:

• Motivational interviewing: engaging residents in thinking about their smoking
• Behavioural techniques: changing behaviours to facilitate smoking cessation. For example:  engaging residents in relaxing activities, such as deep breathing or gentle exercise; encouraging activities that stimulate the mouth, such as snacking on raw vegetables or drinking a cold glass of water; encouraging activities that occupy the hands, such as playing cards, knitting, doing a crossword or jigsaw puzzle.
• Managing residents’ problematic behaviour:  for example, if residents are found to be smoking in bathrooms or in their bedrooms, consider monitoring resident rooms more frequently.  Also, consider prescribing or increasing NRT to make residents more comfortable when not smoking.
• How to be a buddy for someone who is trying to quit or cutting back on smoking
• Nature of addiction

An education plan will overlap with a communication plan and each needs to be undertaken in conjunction with the other so that any gaps can be identified and addressed.

Use this Sample Education Plan to help develop your own.

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Treatment Plan

A treatment plan is important to help anticipate treatment and support needs of persons entering into a smoke-free LTC Home, especially if they currently smoke. 

To ease the transition into a smoke-free LTC Home, consider starting the treatment plan as early as possible - for example, as part of the resident’s placement process with a CCAC.  Sharing information on smoking cessation and/or cutting back can be made part of the assessment and placement process between the CCAC, the LTC Home, and the new resident.

In addition to the CCAC, others who have contact with the new resident (for example, the potential resident’s family and friends or Family Physician) are also in a good position to initiate discussions about smoking cessation. 

A treatment plan can be built into the existing resident care plan. When constructing a treatment plan, the following sources of information may be useful:
• The current Family Physician
• The Health Unit’s community resource list for Smoking Cessation
• Canadian Cancer Society Smokers' Helpline

The treatment plan should incorporate a review schedule - for example, semi-annual, quarterly, or when a change in health status has occurred. 

Ideally, at any stage, family and friends will be included in the process, and they will be advised of the change taking place and what they can do to support the resident.

The Canadian Cancer Society has a booklet for those who want to help someone quit smoking. You can access the booklet here.   

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